Herpes Zoster in Normal and Immunocompromised Children FREE

RAZIA LATIF, MB; THOMAS C. SHOPE, MD

Am J Dis Child. 1983;137(8):801-802. doi:10.1001/archpedi.1983.02140340081021.

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ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT | REFERENCES

Primary infection with varicellazoster virus (VZV) causes chickenpox. After the primary infection, the virus remains dormant in the sensory ganglionic neurons until reactivated.¹ The mechanism of reactivation is poorly understood, but various insults like malignant neoplasms, irradiation, immunosuppressive therapy, or aging cause reactivation of the virus, producing lesions of herpes zoster (shingles).² While the incidence of chickenpox is greatest among the 5- to 9-year-old age group,³ the incidence of zoster, which may occur at any age after primary varicella infection, increases sharply after the age of 50 years.⁴ Herpes zoster in otherwise normal children occurs without any obvious predisposing cause. Extensive data are available regarding herpes zoster in adults² and immunocompromised children,^5-7 but little is known about this disease in immunologically competent children.^8-10 We have compared the epidemiologic and clinical features of herpes zoster occurring in seven otherwise normal children with the same

REFERENCES

ABSTRACT | REFERENCES

Dolin R, Reichman RC, Mazur MH, et al: Herpes zoster varicella infections in immunosuppressed patients . Ann Intern Med 1978;;89:375-388.

Mazur MH, Dolin R: Herpes zoster at the NIH: A 20 year experience . Am J Med 1978;;65: 738-744.

Preblud SR: Age-specific risks of varicella complications . Pediatrics 1981;;68:14-17.

Hope-Simpson RE: The nature of herpes zoster: A long term study and a new hypothesis . Proc R Soc Med 1965;;58:9-20.

Hurley JK, Greenslade T, Lewy PR, et al: Varicella-zoster infections in pediatric renal transplant recipients . Arch Surg 1980;;115:751-752.

Feldman S, Hughes WT, Kim HY: Herpes zoster in children with cancer . Am J Dis Child 1973;;126:178-184.

Bacon GE, Oliver WJ, Shapiro BA: Factors contributing to severity of herpes zoster in children . J Pediatr 1965;;67:768-771.

Winkelmann RK, Perry HO: Herpes zoster in children . JAMA 1959;;171:876-880.

Brunell PA, Miller LH, Lovejoy F: Zoster in children . Am J Dis Child 1968;;115:432-437.

Rogers RS, Tindall JP: Herpes zoster in children . Arch Dermatol 1972;;106:204-207.

Brunell PA: Zoster in infancy: Failure to maintain virus latency following intrauterine infection . J Pediatr 1981;;98:71-73.

Timothy DJ, Williams ML: Herpes zoster in infancy . Scand J Infect Dis 1979;;11:185-186.

Takahashi M, Asano Y, Kamiya H, et al: Active immunization for varicella-zoster virus , in Nahmias AJ, Dowdle WR, Schinazi RF (eds): The Human Herpesvirus . New York, Elsevier North Holland Inc, 1981;, pp 414-431.

Brunell PA, Shehab Z, Geiser C, et al: Administration of live varicella vaccine to children with leukemia . Lancet 1982;;2:1069-1073.

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Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal