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BACKGROUND: Eczema herpeticum (EH) is a disseminated skin infection caused by herpes simplex virus in atopic dermatitis (AD) patients. The frequency of EH and the clinical features of EH patients have not yet been investigated in a larger cohort. METHODS: We sought to investigate the TREATgermany cohort, a multicenter, non-interventional clinical registry of moderately to severely affected AD patients in Germany. Baseline characteristics of patients included between December 2017 and April 2021 were compared between patients without, single, and multiple EH. RESULTS: Of the 893 patients, 195 (21.8%) had at least one EH. Of the 195 patients with EH, 107 had multiple EH (54.9%), representing 12.0% of the total study population. While there were no differences in demographic characteristics, previous treatment, and disease scores at enrollment (itch, IGA, oSCORAD, EASI), patients with EH had more frequent atopic comorbidities and sensitizations to house dust mite, food, and mold. DISCUSSION: TREATgermany registry data suggest a high prevalence and recurrence rate of EH, while there appears to be no specific clinical phenotype, besides an increase in allergies, to identify EH patients in the daily routine.

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Eczema herpeticum (EH) is a cutaneous infection with herpes simplex virus, typically in the context of atopic dermatitis. Pediatric hospitalizations for EH have increased over the past several decades, yet few studies have investigated comorbidities or epidemiology of pediatric EH inpatients. We searched the 2016 Kids' Inpatient Database and recorded demographics, comorbidities, and associated costs for patients with EH. We found bacterial infections were a common comorbidity which affected nearly half (47.4%) of hospitalized patients, suggesting the importance of regular monitoring of pediatric EH inpatients for bacterial coinfection.

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BACKGROUND: Eczema herpeticum (EH) is a disseminated viral infection of eczematous skin disease with the herpes simplex virus. Knowledge on clinical characteristics, risk factors and recurrent disease is limited. Our aim was to better define clinical characteristics and risk factors for EH and especially for recurrent EH. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of EH cases assessed the history, clinical signs, prior treatment and laboratory results using a predefined questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 224 EH cases from eight European centres were included. Extrinsic AD was identified as risk factor for EH, and only one patient suffered from intrinsic AD. Early onset of AD was identified as risk factor for recurrent EH. Pretreatment with topical steroids, systemic steroids, topical calcineurin inhibitors or plain emollients reflected standard therapy. Many patients showed AD lesions without EH, but skin without AD lesions was never affected by herpetic lesions. CONCLUSION: Patients with clinically active, extrinsic AD are at risk of EH. Recurrent EH is associated with confounders of severe atopic distortion and requires active AD lesions for clinical manifestation. Recurrent eczema herpeticum mainly affects patients with early onset of AD.

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Eczema herpeticum (EH) is characterized by viral infection of a preexisting inflammatory dermatosis and is associated with considerable morbidity. In this cross-sectional study, we sought to determine the incidence, risk factors, comorbidities, costs of care, length of stay, and mortality in hospitalized U.S. children with EH. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2002-2012, containing a 20% sample of all U.S. hospitalizations, was analyzed. We used a validated approach involving InternationalClassification of Diseases, Ninth Revision-Clinical Modification codes to identify patients primarily admitted for EH (n = 4,655 weighted). The mean annual incidence of hospitalization for EH per million children ranged from 4.03 to 7.30, increasing significantly from 2008 to 2012. EH was associated with younger age (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] for 3-4 years = 1.29 [1.02-1.64]) and nonwhite race/ethnicity (black = 2.93 [2.35-3.66], Asian= 4.41 [3.34-5.83], Native American = 2.96 [1.51-5.78]) but was less likely to occur in areas with lower income quartiles (quartile 1, 0.66 [0.53-0.84]; quartile 2, = 0.68 [0.54-0.87]; quartile 3, 0.70 [0.56-0.88]). EH was associated with atopic dermatitis (11.72 [9.48-14.49]). Increased length of stay and costs of care were associated with Asian race. Mean length of stay was 3.86 ± 0.09 days, and mean cost of care was $5,237.6 ± 160.6. Overall mortality was 0.1%. EH in hospitalized children poses a substantial burden to the health care system.

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Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease of humans, affecting approximately 17% of children. AD patients are especially susceptible to cutaneous bacterial and viral infections, and may develop severe or fatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection (eczema herpeticum, EH), requiring intensive antiviral therapy. However, even though a majority of adults show serologic evidence of previous HSV exposure, EH occurs in less than 3% of AD patients. The unexpected rarity of AD patients with EH (ADEH+) suggests that multiple host factors play a role in the clinical expression of this complex phenotype. Recent studies comparing ADEH+ versus ADEH- patients reveal that patients prone to ADEH+ have more severe AD skin disease, biomarkers associated with Th2 helper cell responses (reduced interferon levels, circulating eosinophil counts, increased serum IgE and allergen sensitization) and decreased epidermal expression of filaggrin and antimicrobial peptides. ADEH+ subjects are also more likely to have a history of food allergy or asthma, early onset of AD and a history of other cutaneous infections with Staphylococcus aureus or molluscum contagiosum.

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OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology and outcomes of children hospitalized with eczema herpeticum and to determine the association with delayed acyclovir on outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study conducted between January 1, 2001, and March 31, 2010, of 1331 children aged 2 months to 17 years with eczema herpeticum from 42 tertiary care children's hospitals in the Pediatric Health Information System database. Multivariable linear regression models determined the association between delayed acyclovir therapy and the main outcome measure: hospital length of stay (LOS). RESULTS: There were no deaths during the study period. Staphylococcus aureus infection was diagnosed in 30.3% of the patients; 3.9% of the patients had a bloodstream infection. Fifty-one patients (3.8%) required ICU admission. There were 893 patients (67.1%) who received acyclovir on the first day of admission. The median LOS increased with each day delay in acyclovir initiation. In multivariable analysis, delay of acyclovir initiation by 1 day was associated with an 11% increased LOS (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3%-20%; P = .008), and LOS increased by 41% when acyclovir was started on day 3 (95% CI: 19%-67%; P < .001) and by 98% when started on day 4 to 7 (95% CI: 60%-145%; P < .001). Use of topical corticosteroids on day 1 of hospitalization was not associated with LOS. CONCLUSIONS: Delay of acyclovir initiation is associated with increased LOS in hospitalized children with eczema herpeticum. Use of topical corticosteroids on admission is not associated with increased LOS. The mortality rate of hospitalized children with eczema herpeticum is low.

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The geographical distribution of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) variants BgK(L) and BgO(L) and the high relative frequency (RF) of BgK(L) in orolabial lesions has led to a dispersion-replacement hypothesis for these variants. The pathogenic properties of HSV-1 variants in mice and professional sumo wrestlers were examined here. The wrestlers herpes gladiatorum (HG) was caused by primary and non-primary HSV-1 infections and recurred in many wrestlers. HSV-1 neutralizing antibody titres in sera from wrestlers who did not develop HG were relatively high. HG was caused by distinct HSV-1 variants and strains from wrestlers living in the same sumo stable. The BgK(L) RF was significantly higher in HG cases, particularly in those with Kaposi's varicelliform eruption. These data indicated that reactivation and transmission of latent HSV-1 infections, especially BgK(L), occurred frequently among wrestlers and was caused by severe skin damage. These results support the BgK(L) dispersion hypothesis.

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BACKGROUND: Kaposis varicelliform eruption (KVE) represents widespread cutaneous herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in patients with preexisting dermatoses. Occasionally, this infection can present as a nosocomial infection in skin wards, if adequate bed-spacing and barrier nursing methods are not followed. We are reporting five cases of KVE; four cases acquired the infection in a makeshift ward after admission of the first case in May 2005, due to the renovation work of the regular skin ward. AIM: The purpose of this study is to create clinical awareness about this uncommon dermatologic entity and to stress upon the importance of bed-spacing and barrier nursing in skin wards. METHODS: Five cases of KVE, three females and two males with different primary dermatoses (pemphigus foliaceus--one, pemphigus vulgaris--two, paraneoplastic pemphigus--one and toxic epidemal necrolysis--one) were included in this study. Diagnosis was made clinically and supported with Tzanck smear and HSV serology. All the cases were treated with oral acyclovir. RESULTS: Four out of five cases of KVE recovered with treatment, one case of extensive pemphigus vulgaris with KVE succumbed to death. CONCLUSION: Mini outbreaks of KVE can occur in skin wards with inadequate bed-spacing and overcrowding of patients. Therefore adequate bed-spacing, barrier nursing and isolation of suspected cases are mandatory to prevent such life-threatening infections.

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Clinicians at the Department of Dermatology at the University of Mainz saw 63 patients with 75 episodes of eczema herpeticum. An analysis of these cases shows an exceedingly high rate of increased incidence of the disease. From 1969 through 1981, 13 cases were registered, whereas in the years 1982 to 1986 the number of cases was 62. The mean age of the patients was 22.7 years, and 42 patients (56%) were between 15 and 24 years of age. This finding shows that the affected patients are not predominantly infants, as has been reported up to now. Of these patients 5 had one recurrence, two had two recurrences, and one had three recurrences. Acyclovir, used for treatment in 38 cases, led to rapid improvement, whereas therapy with immunoglobulins, antibiotics, and so-called immunostimulating agents did not clearly influence disease duration.

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Certain infections such as Kaposi's herpetic eruption, impetigo, recurrent cutaneous herpes simplex and warts are more frequent in subjects with atopic dermatitis. It is likely that the continuous alterations of the skin are more important than immunological factors in increasing the frequency of some infections in subjects with atopic dermatitis. Moreover, these infections do not seem to affect significantly the clinical course of atopic dermatitis.

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Smallpox has disappeared from all countries except Ethiopia and the possibility of its eradication appears within reach. The need for vaccination of eczema patients against smallpox appears to be ending. Eczema vaccinatum is a rare but sometimes fatal complication of smallpox vaccination in atopic aczema and its incidence is discussed. Precautions in vaccinating atopic eczema patients include suitable treatment of the eczema, injection of vaccinial immunoglobulin and testing the competence of humoral and cellular immunity.

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