Atypical varicella exanthems associated with skin injury.
Varicella is a common childhood disease with a typical exanthem. We present four children with severe, localized disease, all associated with some form of trauma to the skin during the incubation period: a 3 1/2-year-old boy sustained wasp stings on the hand, a 5-year-old boy received extensive sun exposure, a neonate had iatrogenic trauma to her arm, and a 13-year-old boy underwent knee arthroscopy and was wearing a cast. It is postulated that such injuries to the skin either allowed more virus-infected cells to enter the skin at the sites, or that factors such as insect venom and ultraviolet light altered local immunity to varicella zoster virus.
Belhorn
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TH
Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston.
Lucky
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AW
D000293:Adolescent; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000150:complications*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005076:Exanthema / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries*