On December 1st, a middle-aged man came to see me with rashes on the right side of his trunk, both front and back, presenting in a band-like fashion. Medically, this is referred to as "along the dermatome." Observing the lesions and the pattern of involvement, I immediately recognized the condition as shingles, also known as herpes zoster. This condition is caused by the same virus that leads to chickenpox—the varicella-zoster virus. After an individual has chickenpox, some of the virus can remain dormant in the spinal nerve roots. Later, when the virus reactivates, it produces localized skin lesions in the area supplied by the affected nerve, rather than the widespread lesions seen in chickenpox.