Department of Surgery, Antrim Area Hospital, 45 Bush Road, Antrim BT28 3QE, Northern Ireland. achesonjonny@hotmail.com
Acute urinary retention in women is uncommon. A 63 year old woman presented with suprapubic pain, a palpable bladder, and multiple grouped vesicles on the right buttock. Catheterisation showed a residual of 2000 ml. A case is reported of acute urinary retention secondary to herpes zoster infection of the sacral nerves (S2-4).