Wolf’s isotopic response of eczema after herpes zoster infection: case report and literature review

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Source: Frontiers Medicine

Original: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1697012...

Published: 2026-01-05T00:00:00Z

Wolf postherpetic isotopic response (PHIR) refers to the development of new skin conditions, such as tumors, infections, or immune-mediated diseases, at the site of a previously healed herpetic eruption. The exact pathogenesis of Wolff's PHIR is incompletely understood. Four mechanisms have been proposed: viral, immunological, vascular and neurological. In the described case, a patient with eczema developed eczema at the original site after the herpes zoster infection had cleared. After 2 weeks of treatment with oral glucocorticoids, the skin lesions improved significantly. There was no recurrence during the 3-month follow-up.