Final answer:
True, Hutchinson's sign is a clinical indicator preceding the development of ophthalmic herpes zoster. It signals involvement of the trigeminal nerve in shingles, which can lead to serious eye complications.
Step-by-step explanation:
True, Hutchinson's sign is an important clinical indicator that precedes the development of ophthalmic herpes zoster, also known as shingles, involving the eye.
Herpes zoster, commonly called shingles, is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes chickenpox. After an individual has chickenpox, VZV becomes dormant in the nerve cells. Decades later, it can reactivate and cause shingles, presenting as painful skin lesions. Hutchinson's sign, specifically, indicates VZV involvement in the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve and is a precursor to potential eye complications.
When shingles affects the eye, it's called herpes zoster ophthalmicus. Relevant symptoms include a painful rash on one side of the forehead, with or without vesicles on the tip of the nose (Hutchinson's sign). Immunocompromised individuals are at greater risk for complications from shingles, including dissemination of the virus to other organs.