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CASE REPORT
Herpes simplex transmission to chest and face through autoinoculation in an infant
  1. Jeroen J van Vonderen1,2,
  2. Kim Stol3,
  3. Emmeline P Buddingh4,
  4. Danielle CM van der Kaay5
  1. 1Department of Pediatrics, Reinier de Graaf Gasthuis, Delft, The Netherlands
  2. 2Department of Pediatrics, Haga Hospital/Juliana Children's Hospital, The Hague, The Netherlands
  3. 3Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC/Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  4. 4Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC/Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  5. 5Department of Pediatrics, Haga Hospital/Juliana Children's Hospital, The Hague, The Netherlands
  1. Correspondence to Dr Danielle CM van der Kaay, d.vanderkaay{at}hagaziekenhuis.nl

Summary

A 4-month-old female infant presented with a vesicular lesion on her left hand present since 1 day. A few days prior to presentation, she had a similar lesion on the lower lip. Two days after presentation, she returned with new lesions on her thorax and upper eyelid. PCR of the vesicle was positive for herpes simplex virus type 1. The transmission to her chest and face probably resulted from autoinoculation, caused by rubbing of the hand on other parts of the body. Transmission of herpes simplex through skin-to-skin contact is a common route of infection in people engaging in contact sports. Antiviral therapy was started because of the extensiveness and expansion of lesions and risk of developing herpetic keratitis. The patient completely recovered. This case shows that in an otherwise healthy infant, multiple herpetic skin lesions were not due to disseminated infection, but through autoinoculation.

  • paediatrics
  • infectious diseases
  • dermatology

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Footnotes

  • Contributors JJV and DK wrote the first draft of the manuscript and were involved in its conception. JJV, KS and DK were involved in the conception of the case report. JJV, KS, EPB and DK reported the case in the manuscript, edited the manuscript and approved it for final submission.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Patient consent Guardian consent obtained.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.