Diagnosis of Shingles

Generally, shingles is easily diagnosed by its characteristic discomfort/pain and its distinctive rash. To confirm that you have shingles, your doctor may scrape some skin from a blister or collect some of its fluid. These samples can then be sent to a laboratory for testing. The tests can detect the presence of the varicella-zoster virus.

These tests include:

Microscopic examination
Viral culture
Immunofluorescence
Polymerase chain reaction techniques

It may take as long as three weeks or several weeks to obtain the results of some of these tests.

References

The American Academy of Dermatology website. Available at: http://www.aad.org/default.htm . Accessed February 21, 2006.

Stankus SJ, Dlugopolski M, Packer D. Management of herpes zoster (shingles) and postherpetic neuralgia. Am Fam Physician . 2000;61(8). Available at: http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000415/2437.html.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/ . Accessed February 21, 2006.

Revision Information

Reviewer: Peter Lucas, MD
Review Date: 09/2012
Update Date: 00/91/2012

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.