Abstract
Background/Objectives: Atypical and severe clinical manifestations of primary and recurrent herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections may present to a pediatric dermatologist for evaluation. The purpose of this study was to characterize the clinical features of the population diagnosed with HSV referred to a pediatric dermatology office. Methods: This retrospective case series examined patients diagnosed with HSV in a pediatric dermatology practice at an academic medical center from 2005 to 2015. Characteristics of the population were collected and analyzed. Results: In this study of 48 children diagnosed with HSV, 33% presented at age 2 years or younger, with approximately half having exhibited initial symptoms before 2 years of age; 39.6% of the population had six or more outbreaks per year. The outbreaks were equally divided between unifocal and multifocal presentations, with 60% of children without any labial or mucosal involvement. Suppressive treatment was initiated in 33% of patients; the average age at initiation was 6 years. Conclusion: Our data characterize a subset of immunocompetent young children who present to pediatric dermatologists with frequent HSV outbreaks that are often multifocal and involve cutaneous sites, with or without mucosal involvement.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 446-449 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Pediatric Dermatology |
Volume | 34 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 1 2017 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Dermatology