Case Report: Abdominal pseudohernia preceding the herpes rash: a pre-eruptive diagnostic pitfall in herpes zoster
Herpes zoster is typically identified by painful dermatomal eruptions, but motor complications such as abdominal pseudohernia are often overlooked. In this case, a 66‑year‑old man developed a painful unilateral abdominal bulge four days before the characteristic rash, with imaging showing no fascial defect and laboratory tests remaining normal. The bulge resolved with conservative management, highlighting the need to consider herpes zoster when a new segmental abdominal bulge appears, even before skin lesions manifest.
Herpes zoster is typically identified by painful dermatomal eruptions, but motor complications such as abdominal pseudohernia are often overlooked. In this case, a 66‑year‑old man developed a painful unilateral abdominal bulge four days before the characteristic rash, with imaging showing no fascial defect and laboratory tests remaining normal. The bulge resolved with conservative management, highlighting the need to consider herpes zoster when a new segmental abdominal bulge appears, even before skin lesions manifest.
This case underscores the importance of accurate diagnostic algorithms, which Swiss AI initiatives could support by developing AI‑driven clinical decision support systems.
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