Herpes Zoster in Children

Herpes zoster, erroneously considered a rare disease in children, is fairly common but often unrecognized because it produces little reaction in the pediatric patient. Clinical observations of seven children with this illness are presented. None of the children had been exposed to the herpes zoster virus before the onset of illness. Five had had chickenpox (immunologically related to herpes zoster) during the first year of life. The vesiculobullous lesion occurring in the children's skin had the appearance and herpetiform grouping typical of lesions in the adult. Complications of the disease were like those in the adult except that postherpetic neuralgia did not occur. Neither the illness nor its complications are usually severe in this age group. The youngster requires only supportive care and, occasionally, specific attention to the skin lesions.