Recurrent cutaneous Herpes Simplex (HS) following neonatal HS.

Abstract

A few studies in the literature speak of VHS recurrent infections secondary to neonatal HS (2). In spite of the well-known natural history of infection with VHS, we could not see so far localized recurrent skin infections after the primary infection, much less in the first 13 months of life. Even after primary herpetic infection on preexisting atopic dermatitis we rarely observed skin recurrences. It is possible that a clinically evident primary infection is able to prevent at least in the early years of life the appearance of secondary recurrent infections, as observed with the varicellazoster virus. On the other hand, the early age of onset of cutaneous recurrent HS could be explained by the fact that in these children it is difficult to highlight a previous primary infection, probably because the primary infection due to VHS is usually not clinically evident.