15. Pain and symptomatic recurrences
After being apparently cured, herpes zoster can strike again and cause a new episode. This is known as recurrent herpes zoster. It doesn’t happen to every patient, and it is luckily a rare occurrence, with 12 cases per 1000 person-years. Recurrent herpes zoster will be more likely in patients aged 51 or older and when the initial manifestations of herpes zoster, including pain, were maintained for 30 days or more.