Modern Features of Herpes Zoster in Children: A Brief Retrospective Analysis and Case Report
Introduction. Herpes zoster is a latent form of the disease caused by the Varicella zoster virus, which develops as a result of its reactivation after suffering from chickenpox in childhood. People over 50 years of age are at increased risk of developing herpes zoster due to the physiological withering of the body; children rarely get sick and, as a rule, this happens on the background of depressive states of the immune system. Sporadic publications are available on the incidence of herpes zoster in children in the first year of life with the following risk factors for HZ: maternal chickenpox during pregnancy, primary VZV infection (chickenpox) in the 1st year of life, and provoking factors may include hypothermia, trauma, intoxication, chronic infections, oncological diseases and a number of other conditions. Purpose. To study features of clinical and laboratory findings in children of different ages diagnosed with herpes zoster. Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of medical records of 46 patients diagnosed with herpes zoster undergoing treatment between January 2019 and May 2022. Results. Clinical and laboratory features of HZ in children of different ages are given in the article. A clinical case of shingles in a child in the first year of life is described. Conclusion. Herpes zoster is more common in older children, however, activation of the latent form can be observed in the first year of life.