NEONATAL CUTANEOUS RECURRENT HERPES - REPORT OF 2 CASES AND INTEREST OF ACUTE OR SUPPRESSIVE THERAPY BY ACYCLOVIR

The authors report two cases of cutaneous recurrent herpes occurring a fter a neonatal herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV 2) infection and comm ent on the role of acute or suppressive therapy by aciclovir (ACV). Th e two infants were not treated by ACV after the neonatal period. None of the recurrent cutaneous herpes episodes was followed by viral wides pread. One case reported by Bergstrom et al on a relapse of HSV2 encep halitis occurring after a cutaneous herpes in a child argues for the u se of ACV in recurrent herpes. However, ACV might alter host defense r esponse to HSV2 infection in neonates and children. Thus, it seems not yet recommended to use ACV either as acute or suppressive therapy in recurrent cutaneous herpes unless a progression of the viral disease i s noted.