Herpes zoster in eastern Saudi Arabia: clinical presentation and management.

Background: Herpes zoster (HZ), caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), initially produces chicken-pox, then the virus lies dormant in the dorsal root ganglia. The virus can reactivate after many years and results in HZ along ganglion's distribution. Old age, trauma, stress, diabetes mellitus, and immune suppression are important risk factors for the reactivation.

Traumatic nail split.

In nail split, the nail plate is divided into two parts. Trauma involving the nail matrix, the generator of the nail plate, can result in nail plate splitting which may take some months to become apparent. Photographic documentation of this condition in the literature had hitherto been lacking.

Sparing of the upper axillary area in pityriasis versicolor.

Increased temperature and sweating are considered factors predisposing to pityriasis versicolor. In this case report, sparing of the vaults of the axillae which are naturally occluded and sweaty areas, in a patient with widespread lesions of pityriasis versicolor is discussed. It is the second observation in this regard and further contributions are invited.