Which condition is best described as painful vesicles evolving into crusted lesions in a dermatomal distribution?

Herpes Zoster, commonly known as shingles, is characterized by the presence of painful vesicles that develop into crusted lesions. This condition is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, which remains dormant in nerve tissues after a person has had chickenpox. The vesicles typically appear in a dermatomal distribution, meaning they follow the path of a single nerve root and often appear on one side of the body, corresponding to the area innervated by that nerve.

The evolution of the vesicular lesions into crusts is a distinct feature of herpes zoster, as the blisters break open and the fluid inside them dries out, forming crusts. This process is accompanied by significant pain, which can persist even after the rash has healed, a phenomenon known as postherpetic neuralgia.

This unique presentation of vesicular lesions in a specific, unilateral area of the skin is what specifically distinguishes herpes zoster from the other conditions listed. For instance, conditions like bullous pemphigoid and pemphigus vulgaris involve more generalized blistering and do not follow a dermatomal pattern. Acne vulgaris typically presents with comedones, papules, and pustules, and it lacks the painful ves