A case of primary herpes of the head and neck is presented. The exact sourc
e of infection and the precise diagnosis proved difficult to establish, but
evidence tended to support a diagnosis of varicella tester infection as op
posed to a herpes simplex infection, though a dual infection was not ruled
out.
Herpes simplex has specific clinical features which usually make its distin
ction from varicella tester clear cut. In this case we relied heavily on la
boratory investigations to improve the accuracy of our diagnosis since the
clinical characteristics were blurred.
Unlike varicella tester there has been little written about herpes simplex
infections specifically affecting the ear, face and neck.