Association of Herpes Zoster With Leukemia and Lymphoma in Children

Abstract

Five children, two with Hodgkin''s disease and three with acute leukemia, developed herpes zoster during the course of their illness. The incidence of this association was 3 per cent of all children with leukemia and Hodgkin''s seen at a large children''s hospital over a 14-year period. This is similar to the incidence reported in adults although, in general, herpes zoster is uncommon in children. Two of the patients with leukemia had profound thrombo-cytopenia and developed hemorrhagic vesicles. In the other three patients the zoster lesions were neither severe nor extensive. Treatment of the underlying disease with corticosteroids, antimetabolites and alkylating agents did not appear to have an aggravating effect on the course of the herpes zoster.