{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,4]],"date-time":"2026-02-04T17:43:16Z","timestamp":1770226996810,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":11,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,4]],"date-time":"2026-02-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770163200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Herpes zoster (HZ) is the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus and usually causes unilateral dermatomal vesicles; deep tissue involvement is uncommon. We report a 76-year-old man who, 12\u202fdays after classic right-flank HZ in the T11 dermatome, developed a painless right-sided abdominal bulge. Examination found a soft, non-pitting swelling. Computed tomography demonstrated ipsilateral thinning of the abdominal wall muscles without evidence of a fascial defect, true hernia, or mass, consistent with zoster-related segmental motor neuropathy presenting as an abdominal pseudohernia. He was managed conservatively with reassurance; no surgery was required. This case highlights a rare neuromuscular complication of HZ and supports the use of imaging in unexplained post-zoster abdominal swelling.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2026.1752137","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,4]],"date-time":"2026-02-04T05:34:18Z","timestamp":1770183258000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Case Report: Herpes zoster-associated abdominal wall bulge with ipsilateral muscle atrophy"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Yuxuan","family":"Wang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University","place":["Yangzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Juping","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University","place":["Yangzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e75857","DOI":"10.7759\/cureus.75857","article-title":"Radiation-associated herpes zoster: a clinical case","volume":"16","author":"Aleksiev","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e76440","DOI":"10.7759\/cureus.76440","article-title":"Abdominal bulging due to abdominal muscle palsy secondary to herpes zoster: a report of a rare case","volume":"16","author":"Hiramoto","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e51728","DOI":"10.7759\/cureus.51728","article-title":"Segmental abdominal paresis attributed to herpes zoster infection mimicking an abdominal hernia: an interesting case from a surgical unit of a tertiary healthcare center","volume":"16","author":"Sharma","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e13578","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2023.e13578","article-title":"Abdominal paresis and pseudo-hernia secondary to herpes zoster infection: a case report and systematic analysis","volume":"9","author":"Chiew","year":"2023","journal-title":"Heliyon"},{"key":"ref5","first-page":"89","article-title":"Extracranial herpetic paresis","volume-title":"Herpes zoster: current topics in virology, epidemiology, treatment and prevention","author":"Marti\u0107","year":"2020"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"428","DOI":"10.1186\/s12891-023-06536-1","article-title":"Monoradiculopathy-induced abdominal pseudohernia caused by T11\u201312 soft disc herniation: a case report and literature review","volume":"24","author":"Cho","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMC Musculoskelet Disord"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"391","DOI":"10.3344\/kjp.22391","article-title":"Current scenario and future applicability of antivirals against herpes zoster","volume":"35","author":"Kim","year":"2022","journal-title":"Korean J Pain"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"253","DOI":"10.36076\/PPJ.2021\/24\/253","article-title":"Segmental zoster paresis: a literature review","volume":"24","author":"Meng","year":"2021","journal-title":"Pain Physician"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1084","DOI":"10.1007\/s12262-021-03056-x","article-title":"Abdominal pseudohernia secondary to herpes zoster: a systematic review","volume":"83","author":"Yeap","year":"2021","journal-title":"Indian J Surg"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100075Z09NS2023","DOI":"10.5348\/100075Z09NS2023CR","article-title":"Clinical investigation of segmental zoster paresis: a case of rare motor complications of herpes zoster","volume":"9","author":"Shiraiwa","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Case Rep Images Med"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.47829\/ACMCR.2020.5303","article-title":"Pseudo-abdominal hernia: a retrospective study with a review of the literature","volume":"5","author":"Sunder","year":"2020","journal-title":"Ann Clin Med Case Rep"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Medicine"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmed.2026.1752137\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,4]],"date-time":"2026-02-04T05:34:20Z","timestamp":1770183260000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmed.2026.1752137\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,4]]},"references-count":11,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fmed.2026.1752137"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fmed.2026.1752137","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-858X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-858X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,4]]},"article-number":"1752137"}}