title: [Clinical and Epidemiological Study of Complicated Infection by Varicella-Zoster Virus in the Pediatric Age].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Portugal, the incidence of complicated infection by varicella-zoster virus is unknown. The purpose of this study was to describe the epidemiological and clinical features of complicated infection by varicella-zoster virus in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of the clinical files of patients admitted between January 1999 and July 2013, with a diagnosis of complicated varicella-zoster virus infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-four patients were hospitalized with complicated varicella-zoster virus infection, two of them by reactivation of latent infection. The median age was 38 (IQR 18 - 65) months. The most frequent types of complications were bacterial overinfection of the skin and subcutaneous cellular tissue (37.2%) and respiratory complications (24.5%). Other complications were neurologic complications (19.1%), gastrointestinal (9.6%), hematologic (5.3%) and osteoarticular (4.3%). In 38 patients invasive bacterial infections were diagnosed, with bacteremia in 6 patients. The median age was highest in the immunological complications compared with infectious complications. Neurological complications occurred mainly in healthy children, while infectious complications, including the invasive bacterial infections were more frequent in patients treated with ibuprofen and/or corticosteroids. The evolution was favorable in most cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The complications of varicella-zoster virus infection occurred mainly in pre-school age and in healthy children. Infectious complications, particularly respiratory complications and bacterial overinfection of the skin and subcutaneous cellular tissue, were the most frequent. There was association between infectious complications and previous therapy with ibuprofen and / or corticosteroids.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multicenter studies should be planned in order to optimize and adjust the vaccine strategies to our reality.
authors: Serviço de Pediatria Médica. Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho. Gaia. Portugal.
authors: Catarina
authors: C
authors: Maia
authors: Serviço de Pediatria Médica. Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho. Gaia. Portugal.
authors: Jacinta
authors: J
authors: Fonseca
authors: Serviço de Pediatria Médica. Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho. Gaia. Portugal.
authors: Isabel
authors: I
authors: Carvalho
authors: Serviço de Pediatria Médica. Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho. Gaia. Portugal.
authors: Helena
authors: H
authors: Santos
authors: Serviço de Pediatria Médica. Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho. Gaia. Portugal.
authors: Diana
authors: D
authors: Moreira
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000073618:Varicella Zoster Virus Infection / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*