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URL of this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/2511.htm

Herpes zoster (shingles) on the chest

Herpes zoster (shingles) on the chest

Overview

This is a picture of herpes zoster (shingles) on the chest. Shingles are caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Outbreaks of shingles often follow the distribution of nerves in the skin. This distribution pattern is called a dermatome. The linear distribution of the nerve in the skin is very easily seen in this photograph.

Review Date 12/4/2022

Updated by: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.