title: Acute generalized varicella zoster in the setting of preexisting generalized erythema.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City 84132, USA.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Egan
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Vanderhooft
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Rallis
mesh_terms: 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