Herpes Zoster in children: Evaluation of the sixty cases

Herpes Zoster (HZ), caused by the reactivation of the latent Varicella Zoster Virus infection is a disease that may rarely develop in childhood. HZ is considered to be a disease of adult, but recent reports show an increase in the number of cases in childhood. This study was designed to evaluate the demographic and clinical features of children with HZ. Data from patients under 18 years of age that were diagnosed with HZ at two different dermatology outpatient clinics were retrospectively evaluated between October 2012 and December 2018. Out of 60 cases enrolled in the study, 37 were male and 23 were female. The mean age of patients was 8 +/- 4.93 years. Of all the cases, 46 had a history of chickenpox. Three patients had been vaccinated against chickenpox. Itching, observed in 48 subjects, was the most common symptom, while 38 subjects complained of pain. Acyclovir was prescribed as antiviral therapy in 33 cases. None of the cases showed any complication. HZ may occur in healthy children without any immunosuppression, too. Pain in children is less common than in adults whereas, itching is more frequent. Complications are rare in these subjects.