Post-Anaesthetic Herpetic Lesion following Extraction - A Case Report

RATIONALE: In Indian subcontinent, every adult may have suffered from chicken pox during their early childhood and harbour the virus, which eventually becomes inactive over years. These latent organisms can undergo sudden activation when triggered by injection of local anaesthesia in the oral cavity. Probably, some symptoms develop along the distribution of the nerve. PATIENT CONCERNS: Here, we present a case report of a 55-year-old male patient who reported to us with post-anaesthetic herpetic lesion involving the face unilaterally and also a lesion present in the intraoral cavity not crossing the midline. DIAGNOSIS: The patient was diagnosed as post-anaesthetic herpetic lesion. TREATMENT: Symptomatic medical management was given. OUTCOMES: On two month follow-up, the lesion was completely resolved and replaced by healthy tissue. TAKE-AWAY LESSON: Medical history should also include a question about past experience with chicken pox before proceeding with extraction.