The Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and lmmunology Online Journal

Abstract

The Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology > Vol.36 No.3 contents > Abstract

Article in Japanese

Clinical features of herpes simplex virus infection in children diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

Yoshitaka Nakamura1), Meiwa Shibata1), Yuho Horikoshi1)

Few studies in Japan have examined the status of virus typing for pediatric herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections. We herein retrospectively investigated the clinical features, such as isolation status, the clinical manifestations, and the frequency of complications of any underlying diseases in pediatric cases of HSV detected by PCR between March 2010 and April 2023 at our hospital. An analysis of 51 samples from 47 patients with HSV yielded the diagnoses of Kaposi’s varicelliform eruption (n=13), periocular herpes (n=12), herpes encephalitis (n=7), oral herpes (n=6), herpetic gingivostomatitis (n=4), herpes whitlow (n=4), genital herpes (n=3), and herpes viremia (disseminated neonatal herpes simplex virus infection) (n=2). HSV-2 was detected in only three specimens of herpes encephalitis, one of periocular herpes, and one of herpes viremia; HSV-1 was detected in most of the specimens. As in previous reports, patients with atopic dermatitis were more likely to have Kaposi’s varicelliform eruptions and periocular herpes while immunocompromised patients were more likely to have oral herpes. In none of the seven neonatal cases were there any findings of genital herpes transmitted via the mother’s vulva during delivery. Neonatal herpes, which has an unpredictable onset, should be considered in the differential diagnosis, and treatment should be initiated early.


1)Department of Pediatrics, Kobe City Nishi-Kobe Medical Center
2)Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Hyogo Prefectural Kobe Children’s Hospital
3)Department of Pediatrics, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital
4)Department of Infectious Diseases, Kobe Institute of Health
5)Department of Pediatrics, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences

Key words pediatric, PCR, herpes simplex virus infection, neonatal herpes
Received November 24, 2024
Accepted November 25, 2024

36 (3):243─249,2024

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