Odontalgia, alveolar bone necrosis and spontaneous exfoliation of multiple teeth following herpes zoster infection of trigeminal nerve

Abstract

Herpes zoster (HZ) presents as cutaneous vesicular eruptions in the areas innervated by the affected sensory nerves and is usually associated with severe pain. Oral manifestations of HZ appear when the maxillary or mandibular divisions of the trigeminal nerve are involved. Infection commonly occurs unilaterally and affects mostly middle-aged or the elderly persons. Multiple complications have been reported following HZ of the trigeminal nerve. The most common among them is the neuralgia. There are only a few reports of bony and dental complications following HZ infection. The aim of this article is to present a case of a 44-year-old male patient affected by HZ infection involving trigeminal nerve which led to necrosis of bone and exfoliation of teeth.