Pain, Itch, Quality of Life, and Costs after Herpes Zoster.

Background: Herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia are known to have a profound effect on the patient's quality of life, but the incidence and severity of itch and its relation with pain and quality of life in the long term are still relatively unknown.

Objective: The aim of this study was to measure the presence and severity of pain and itch and impact on quality of life in patients over 50 years old with HZ.

Methods: We enrolled 661 patients with HZ in this 12-month observational study.