Oral acyclovir for severe hand, foot, and mouth disease

Abstract

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), an acute viral illness caused by coxsackieviruses or enteroviruses, is predominantly encountered in children under 10 years of age. Although it is usually self-resolving, there are a few rare cases which have an extremely aggressive clinical presentation and need to be treated on a priority. Many affected children present with florid or unusual lesions; are highly febrile, with high irritability or listlessness; and also refuse to eat. Such cases could be considered as severe ones. With no specific effective antiviral available to tackle HFMD cases, acyclovir may be used in severe cases for its antiviral effect. We describe three such cases of HFMD in children, treated with oral acyclovir, with gratifying results.