Herpes Zoster Reacting with Short-Term Corticosteroid Therapy in a Healthy 8-Year-Old Girl

Abstract

94 aricella zoster virus (VZV) is a double helical DNA virus from herpes virus family. It is the factor of chickenpox and herpes zoster (HZ).1 Varicella, alias chickenpox, is a primary disease which develops after a nonimmunized person encounters the virus for the first time and which is characterized by widespread eczematous skin rashes and children have a mild form of it.2 The virus becomes latent in cerebral or posterior root ganglion after primary infection.3 Herpes zoster is a disease which develops as a result of the reactivation of the virus that remains latent after primary infection. It is characterized by vesicular lesions during unilateral dermatome. Chickenpox or HZ are often mild in healthy individuals. However, it can cause morbidity or mortality in patients with primary or acquired immunodeficiency, especially if cellular immunity is affected.2 The risk of having herpes zoster is 10-15% life-long in those who have chickenpox; 75% of them consist of the cases developing after 45 years of age. The incidence of HZ in children is very low and it is frequently seen in children who use immunosuppressive medicine and who have malignant disease and immune deficiency and a severe course of disease occurs. Herpes zoster, which is much less common in healthy children, is seen in children with chickenpox or contact history in the first year of life or in intrauterine period.1.3