Postherpetic neuralgia pain typically follows which condition?

• A. A dental procedure
• B. An episode of chickenpox
• C. An episode of herpes zoster
• D. A sunburn

Answer: (C)

Postherpetic neuralgia is persistent neuropathic pain that continues after a shingles outbreak. It happens when varicella-zoster virus reactivates in a dorsal root ganglion, causing a painful rash in a dermatomal distribution; even after the rash heals, nerve damage and sensitization can keep pain going for months or years. This makes the episode of herpes zoster the event that the pain follows, not the other options. A dental procedure can cause localized pain but not the characteristic prolonged neuropathic pain along a dermatomal path. Chickenpox is the initial infection, and postherpetic neuralgia is a complication after the shingles episode, not after primary varicella. Sunburn is skin injury without the nerve-specific damage that leads to this persistent neuropathic pain.