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Unusual presentation of more common disease/injury
CASE REPORT
Herpes zoster with cutaneous dissemination: a rare presentation of an uncommon pathology in children
  1. Catarina Faria1,
  2. Ana Antunes1,
  3. Henedina Antunes1,2,
  4. Susana Carvalho1
  1. 1 Department of Pediatrics, Hospital de Braga, Braga, Portugal
  2. 2 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences; ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Universidade do Minho, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
  1. Correspondence to Dr Catarina Faria, catmagalhaesfaria{at}gmail.com

Summary

Herpes zoster, caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV) reactivation, affects mainly the adult population, although it can occur in children. This happens when primary infection (varicella) has occurred at a very young age or in immunocompromised patients. Complications are rare in healthy individuals. They include VZV cutaneous dissemination, which affects 2%–10% of immunocompromised patients.

We present a previously healthy child, with history of varicella during her first month of life, which presented at age 8 with a severe case of herpes zoster, complicated with cutaneous dissemination. Immunity study was unremarkable. Causes, management and follow-up are discussed.

  • infectious diseases
  • paediatrics
  • immunology

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2018-225355

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors CF: conception and design of the work; drafting the article; critical revision of the article; final approval of the version to be published. AA: critical revision of the article; final approval of the version to be published. HA: critical revision of the article; final approval of the version to be published. SC: conception and design of the work; critical revision of the article; final approval of the version to be published.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient consent Parental/guardian consent obtained.

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