Key result
Disseminated coxsackievirus A6 infection in children with atopic dermatitis manifests as a widespread papular or vesicular eruption mimicking eczema herpeticum but with more generalized, discrete lesions.
Case Report (n=6)
No
Coxsackievirus A6 infection can mimic eczema herpeticum and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute exacerbations of atopic dermatitis in children.
May support including coxsackievirus A6 in eczema herpeticum differentials for atopic children; hypothesis-generating, requires prospective validation.
Coxsackievirus A6 (CV-A6) is an emerging pathogen that has in recent years been associated with atypical hand, foot and mouth disease. This manifests as a generalized papular or vesicular eruption, which may be associated with fever and systemic disturbance. We report a series of six children presenting to a single centre in the UK with disseminated CV-A6 infection on a background of atopic dermatitis (AD). Our patients exhibited a widespread papular or vesicular eruption in association with exacerbation of AD. Several of our cases mimicked eczema herpeticum, but the extent was more generalized, and individual lesions were discrete rather than clustered and were less circumscribed in character. This series highlights that CV-A6 infection may be encountered in the UK, and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of an acute exacerbation of AD, particularly in children.
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Lynch et al. (2015) conducted a case report in Disseminated coxsackievirus A6 infection and atopic dermatitis (n=6). Coxsackievirus A6 (CV-A6) infection was evaluated on Clinical presentation. Disseminated coxsackievirus A6 infection in children with atopic dermatitis manifests as a widespread papular or vesicular eruption mimicking eczema herpeticum but with more generalized, discrete lesions.
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