Shingles Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Shingles, including details on symptoms, treatment, causes, virus.

Shingles (varicella zoster) outbreaks in patients with hyperparathyroidism and their relationship to hypercalcemia.

Norman J, Politz D

Norman Parathyroid Clinic, Tampa, Florida 33613, USA. jnorman@parathyroid.com

Shingles (varicella zoster) can be a presenting symptom of hyperparathyroidism and occurs twice as often (rate, 3.7%) among patients with hypercalcemia than in age-matched cohorts of patients >40 years of age who have normal calcium levels. The incidence of shingles increased in a linear fashion, from an annual rate of 1.5% among patients with serum calcium levels <10.5 mg/dL to 11% among patients whose calcium levels reached 13 mg/dL (P<.05), a rate that is 6 times greater than that among age-matched historical control individuals (P<.05).

Published 18 April 2008 in Clin Infect Dis, 46(9): 1452-4.
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