TITLE:
Eczema Herpeticum in Pediatrics: A Case Report
AUTHORS:
Ghizlane Kassal, Soufiane El Moussaoui, Widad Lahmini, Mounir Bourrous
KEYWORDS:
Atopic Dermatitis, Eczema Herpeticum, Herpes Simplex Virus, Acyclovir
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.14 No.6,
November
5,
2024
ABSTRACT: Background: One of the most common viral infections occurring in atopic dermatitis (AD) patients is eczema herpeticum (EH): herpes simplex virus (HSV) skin infection. Despite being comparatively uncommon affecting just 3% of AD patients, EH can progress from a local disease to a potentially fatal systemic infection. Up till now, the pathophysiology of EH is mainly unclear. Case Report: We report the case of a 2-year-old boy who was well-vaccinated and had a history of untreated atopic dermatitis from infancy and presented to the emergency department with increasingly itchy diffuse lesions, red eyes, profuse tearing, chills and malaise. The diagnosis of EH with bilateral ocular involvement was highly suspected. The patient had received intravenous acyclovir with a notable clinical improvement and a complete remission at the two-week follow-up.