Antiviral prophylaxis in pediatric oncology and pediatric bone marrow trans
plantation (BMT)/stem cell transplantation (SCT) focusses herpes viruses: h
erpes simplex virus (HSV), varicella zoster virus (VZV) and cytomegalovirus
(CMV) since these viruses cause significant morbidity and mortality due to
primary infection or to reactivation in long term latency. The majority of
studies on antiviral prophylaxis, especially those on CMV-prophylaxis, hav
e been conducted in adult patients. Recommendations for antiviral prophylax
is have been published recently by the German "Deutsche Gesellschaft fur pa
diatrische Infektiologie" and by the following American institutions and so
cieties "Centers for Disease Control and Prevention", "Infectious Diseases
Society of America", "American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation"
who published the "Guidelines for Preventing Opportunistic Infections Amon
g Hematopoietic Stem Cell 'Transplant Recipients". Concerning HSV- and VZV-
prophylaxis there are almost no differences between recommendations of the
german society and the american institutions, however recommendations for p
reventing CMV-disease and CMV-recurrence do differ considerably. Controvers
ial aspects of antiviral prophylaxis, e.g. VZV vaccination or CMV preventio
n, should be studied in oncology and infectious diseases working groups to
define consensus in the near future.