Pathology · single question
Most likely diagnosis?
Older woman with vesicular lesions on the body that do not cross the midline.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Shingles (herpes zoster)
A painful, unilateral, dermatomal eruption that respects the midline = herpes zoster (shingles).
- A. Correct. Reactivated varicella-zoster follows a dermatome and classically stops at the midline.
- B. Measles is a generalized morbilliform rash, not dermatomal/unilateral.
- C. Primary varicella is widespread and crosses the midline; the unilateral dermatomal pattern is reactivation = zoster.