Herpes zoster infections in SLE in a university hospital in saudi arabia: Risk factors and outcomes

Abstract

Patients with SLE carry an increased risk of infection that account for 11-23 of all hospitalized patients and 50 of all SLE patients develop major infections during the course of their disease. Globally Herpes Zoster has been reported as the most frequent viral infection in SLE patients. We determined the clinical spectrum, disease sequelae and the risk factors associated with the development of Herpes Zoster in patients with SLE and their outcomes. Retrospective case control study of Herpes Zoster infections was done in SLE patients between 1982 and 2006. Cases were matched 1:2 to controls for age, race, sex and duration of follow up. Clinical features of the cases from the time of lupus diagnosis to the time of Zoster were compared to their respective controls over similar time periods. Thirty two SLE cases were compared to sixty four controls. Cases were more likely to have received cyclophosphamide (P =.0223) and intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy (P =.0026), MMF (P