Herpes zoster in childhood

Abstract

Herpes zoster is generally accepted as an acute reactivation of varicella virus in the sensory root ganglia in persons with waning cell mediated immunity. It is commonly associated with advancing age and manifests as a vesicular eruption along the area of distribution of the cutaneous nerve. This article describes six cases of childhood zoster seen in recent years in a regional infectious disease unit to emphasize the special clinical features which seem to characterize herpes zoster in the child.