Herpes zoster: mistaken for radiculopathy and back pain.

Herpes zoster should be considered as one of the differential diagnosis in acute pain of short duration on one side of the body with or without skin lesions. Pain, a prodromal manifestation of herpes zoster may be mistaken for various disease conditions, leading to hasty unwise investigation, therapy. and surgical interventions. There is a need to identify prodrome and skin eruptions of herpes zoster, so that early antiviral therapy can be started in elderly patients who are at higher risk of developing postherpetic neuralgia.