herpes zoster induced alveolar bone necrosis in immunocompromised patients; two case reports

introduction: herpes zoster infection (hzi) is a viral disease with painful skin rashes and blisters in a limited area on one side of the body, often in a strip. osteonecrosis with spontaneous exfoliation of teeth in association with hzi of the mandibular nerve is a rare phenomenon. in this report, such an unusual complication of hzi is presented.   case report: the clinical course of a 53-year-old woman and a 54-year-old man with hzi associated with alveolar bone necrosis and tooth exfoliation were reviewed in order to develop a patient profile for this rare combination of physical findings.   conclusion: in immunocompromised patients, the clinicians should consider hzi as a possible cause of tooth mobility, exfoliation, and alveolar osteonecrosis, which needs early intervention to prevent secondary complications.