Acute generalized varicella zoster in the setting of preexisting generalized erythema.
We report a 5-year-old girl who initially had generalized erythema from scarlet fever. Four days later she developed sheets of monomorphous vesicles in the areas of erythema. A Tzanck smear of a vesicle base showed multinucleated giant cells, and viral culture grew varicella zoster virus, confirming a clinical diagnosis of varicella. This case illustrates that, with a background of preexisting erythema, varicella may present in an atypical manner.
Egan
C A
CA
Department of Dermatology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City 84132, USA.
O'Reilly
M A
MA
Vanderhooft
S L
SL
Rallis
T M
TM
D000208:Acute Disease; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000821:virology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004890:Erythema / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D013997:Time Factors