Infection may play an important role in the pathogenesis of alveolar osteonecrosis following facial herpes zoster: a case report and literature review

CONCLUSIONS: The coexistence of bacterial and viral infection may play an important role in the pathogenesis of alveolar osteonecrosis following HZ. To our knowledge, we are the first to directly explore microbial pathogens in a case of postherpetic alveolar osteonecrosis through next-generation sequencing and bacterial culture. We recommend that oral examinations be carefully conducted for patients who are diagnosed with facial HZ, even if their facial rashes have faded away. We suggest that a prolonged and full-dose antiviral therapy course may be beneficial for the treatment of facial HZ with intraoral lesions. The implementation of dental preventive measures should be considered for patients with facial HZ. The application of antibiotics and excision of necrotic bone may reduce the abundance of bacteria in lesions and improve wound healing.PMID:38566112 | DOI:10.1186/s12903-024-04202-z
Source: Herpes - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Source Type: research