A nurse is assessing a patient suspected of having herpes zoster (shingles). Which of the following lesion patterns should the nurse expect to observe?

Explanation

• Shingles presents as vesicles along dermatomal lines, usually on the trunk, thorax, or face.

• Shingles result after chicken pox has resolved and the virus becomes latent in the spinal cord. When the virus becomes active, normally during illness or stress, it travels down the nerve axons causing lesions in that region of the nerve.

• Serpiginous lesions appear similar to a snake.

• Reticular lesions are net-like.

• Multiform lesions have a variety of shapes and patterns.

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