Correspondence
Sonal Amit
120/243 Lajpat Nagar, Kanpur-5, India.
Phone: 9984552299
E-mail: drsonalamit@gmail.com

Kaposi’s Varicelliform Eruption (KVE) or Eczema herpeticum (EH) refers to a widespread cutaneous infection which is caused by a virus that normally causes localized vesicular eruptions, in a patient with a pre-existing skin disease. Children are much more commonly affected and the primary episode is more severe than the recurrence. We are describing here, a case of KVE in an 18- year old atopic male, who presented with an abrupt onset of umblicated vesicular eruptions with a haemorrhagic crusting over the face, neck, trunk and the arms, which was associated with fever. Punch biopsy revealed an intra-epidermal blister with marked acantholysis and a viral cytopathic effect in the form of ground glass nuclear inclusions, giant cell formation and ballooning degeneration of the keratinocytes. Eczema herpecticum is now being seen with increasing frequency in adults. Since the mortality during the primary episode is approximately 10% in children and adults with impaired cellular immunity, it is important to recognize this lesion early.

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