Prognosis of Herpes Zoster in Healthy Children

Sir.—We read with interest the report of Wurzel et al¹ about the favorable long-term prognosis of herpes zoster in healthy children. We arrived at a similar conclusion in a study done at the Beilinson Medical Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel. Our study population included 20 children (mean age, 7.5 years; range, 1 to 14 years) seen during the previous 15 years in the pediatric department or the pediatric emergency room with herpes zoster infection but who were otherwise healthy. Patients with a malignant neoplasm diagnosed before the onset of herpes zoster and patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy were excluded. Our study population differed from the children reported by Wurzel et al in three ways: (1) the severity of the disease, (2) the involvement of cranial nerve dermatomes, and (3) the occurrence of complications during the acute infection. In the study by Wurzel et al, no child was admitted, only one