Abstract:Objective To study the therapeutic efficacy and prognosis of ultra-early application of gabapentin in patients with herpes zoster neuralgia. Methods Patients who diagnosed with herpes zoster present within the first 72 h of vesicle formation were divided into the control group (n=30),patients with neuralgia, high-temperature area in affected side in Infrared Thermal Imaging, excluded other diseases and visited again within 72 h rush onset were divided into the experimental group (n=30). In experimental group,patients were received gabapentin at first visit, and antiviral and neurotrophic drugs after diagnosis with herpes zoster. In control group, patients were received gabapentin, antiviral and neurotrophic drugs immediately. The brief McGill pain scores before the treatment(T0), at 7 days (T1), 14 days (T2) and 28 days (T3) after the treatment were assessed to reflect the pain level and the temperature differences between the affected and contralateral side (DT) were measured by Infrared Thermal Image at T0, T2 and T3 to reflect the neuro-inflammatory. The quality of sleep and life were assessed before and after the treatment, and the occurrence rate of nerve block and post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) were recorded. Results Compared with T0, the McGill pain scores of patients in two groups at T1、T2、T3 were decreased,the quality of sleep and life were improved obviously after the treatment and there was statistically different. Compared with control group, the McGill pain scores at T1、T2 were lower, and theΔT at T2、T3 were decreased in experimental group, and the quality of sleep and life were improved significantly at T1 and there was statistically different. The incidence rate of nerve block in experimental group was lower than that in control group, but there was no difference of the incidence rate of PHN. Conclusion ultra-early application of gabapentin can relieve the herpes zoster neuralgia, reduce the neuro-inflammatory in the herpetic region, improve the quality of sleep and life, but could not reduce the incidence of post-herpetic neuralgia, which is still meaningful for the clinical treatment.