Citation

Gupta MA, Gupta AK. Cutis 2000; 66(3): 221-223.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, Quadrant HealthCom)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11006859

Abstract

Herpes zoster is associated with depressed cell-mediated immunity and occurs rarely in the medically healthy nonimmunocompromised child. We report 4 cases of childhood-onset herpes zoster in the absence of a medical disorder. All 4 patients reported experiencing severe, chronic child abuse when the herpes zoster first appeared. It is possible that the severe chronic psychologic stress resulting from the abuse depressed the patients' cell-mediated immune status and thereby predisposed them to herpes zoster. Our findings suggest that the clinician's suspicion should be heightened for the possibility of covert child abuse and secondary stress when managing an otherwise apparently healthy child with herpes zoster.

Language: en