CONCURRENT HERPES ZOSTER AND CHICKENPOX

Abstract

THE RELATIONSHIP between herpes zoster and chickenpox was first pointed out by von Bokay, 1 of Budapest, in 1888, when he reported cases of the latter disease in members of two families after episodes of herpes zoster in other members. Since then, there has been a growing interest in the subject, especially in the foreign literature. For example, Le Feuvre, 2 in 1917, found in the literature 37 cases of chickenpox after exposure to herpes zoster (shingles) and added 4 cases of his own, making a total of 41 cases. He also reported the converse, 5 cases of herpes zoster after exposure to chickenpox. Moreover, he summarized the reports of 4 cases, which had been noted in the British literature between 1913 and 1916, of concurrent herpes zoster and varicella. In all these cases, the chickenpox followed the herpes zoster after an interval of two to four days. Le