Allergy Asthma Respir Dis.  2018 May;6(3):174-178. 10.4168/aard.2018.6.3.174.

Clinical features of eczema herpeticum in atopic dermatitis in a single center

• Jang HJ
• Rho YE
• Kim K
• Kim SH
• Kim YM
• Kim HY

• KMID: 2412521
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4168/aard.2018.6.3.174

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study evaluated the clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with atopic dermatitis patients complicated by eczema herpeticum.
METHODS
This study included 45 patients under the age of 18 with atopic dermatitis complicated by eczema herpeticum in the disease group (ADEH+), and 50 patients under the age of 18 with atopic dermatitis without any episode of eczema herpeticum in the control group (ADEH−). We retrospectively reviewed the clinical features, treatment and prognosis of the 2 groups.
RESULTS
In this study, eczema herpeticum occurred in 2.7% of the AD patients. No significant difference in percentage of boys or mean age was found between the ADEH+ and ADEH− groups. In the ADEH+ group, eczema herpeticum occurred more frequently in the head and neck. Severe atopic dermatitis, recurrent impetigo, IgE−mediated atopic dermatitis and food allergy were identified as the risk factors of eczema herpeticum. The mean white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, percent of eosinophils and total serum IgE were higher in the ADEH+ group than in the ADEH− group. More than 2 recurrences were confirmed in 12 patients (26.7%).
CONCLUSION
In the ADEH+ group, skin lesions were dominant on the head and neck. We revealed that severe atopic dermatitis, frequent impetigo, IgE-mediated atopic dermatitis, and food allergy are risk factors for eczema herpeticum.

Keyword

Atopic dermatitis; Eczema herpeticum; Herpes simplex virus; Child; Risk factor

MeSH Terms

Blood Sedimentation
Child
Dermatitis, Atopic*
Eczema*
Eosinophils
Food Hypersensitivity
Head
Humans
Immunoglobulin E
Impetigo
Kaposi Varicelliform Eruption*
Leukocyte Count
Neck
Prognosis
Recurrence
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Simplexvirus
Skin
Immunoglobulin E

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. Comparison of laboratory data between ADEH+ and ADEH– groups. White blood cell (WBC) count (A), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (B), percent of eosinophils (C), and serum total IgE level (D). AD, atopic dermatitis; ADEH+, AD patients with one or more episodes of AD complicated by eczema herpeticum (ADEH); ADEH–, AD patients without any episode of ADEH. ∗ P<0.05.

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