Shingles involves blisters that appear along what anatomical path?

• A. Blood vessels
• B. Lymphatic channels
• C. The course of the affected nerves
• D. Muscle fibers

Answer: (C)

Shingles causes a rash and vesicles to form along the path of a sensory nerve—the distribution of a dermatome. The varicella-zoster virus remains latent in a dorsal root or cranial nerve ganglion and reactivates to travel along the affected nerve to the skin, producing lesions that line up with that nerve’s course. This nerve-based pattern explains why the blisters appear in a band on one side of the body and follow the pathways of sensory nerves, rather than along blood vessels, lymphatics, or muscle fibers.