Herpes zoster reactivation, shingles, affects 0.2% of the population and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) occurs in 10 -15% of patients following an episode of shingles, with the greatest risk in the elderly. A retrospective review involved 23 consecutive patients attending a tertiary complex pain clinic (University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board), who were treated with topical gabapentin gel.
Multiple studies have already demonstrated the efficacy of oral gabapentin in treating chronic neuropathic pain, however efficacy is often limited by dose dependent toxicity. Although this patient population was small, these findings support the use of topical gabapentin in the treatment of PHN and potentially other painful neuropathy.