Abstract: We detected varicella-zoster virus (VZV) DNA sequences in bullous lesions and skin biopsies obtained from healed skin lesions in 16 patients with herpes zoster using polymerase chain reaction. A 385 bp VZV DNA fragment was found in all the bullous lesions and in two of six biopsies from the skin lesions healed within two months. No VZV DNA was found in the skin lesions two months after healing in 10 cases of herpes zoster. VZV DNA may be detected at the sites of resolved herpes zoster lesions within short duration.

Key words: Herpes zoster, Varicella-zoster virus