Herpes Zoster in a 13-Year-Old Male Without Prior Varicella Infection

TL;DR

A 13-year-old healthy, vaccinated boy developed shingles without a history of chickenpox, highlighting an unusual case in children.

Contribution

Reports a rare case of herpes zoster in a pediatric patient without prior varicella infection or immunocompromise.

Findings

A 13-year-old male with no prior VZV infection developed herpes zoster.

The case suggests possible atypical mechanisms for VZV reactivation in pediatric populations.

This adds to the literature on uncommon pediatric HZ presentations.

Abstract

Herpes zoster (HZ) typically presents following reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in adult and geriatric patients with a history of prior varicella infection. Primary VZV infection in patients compliant with vaccine schedules and without any immunocompromising condition is rare, with reactivation leading to HZ being even rarer. This case report details one such example involving a 13-year-old immunocompetent and fully immunized male with HZ despite no history of VZV infection, as well as possible explanatory mechanisms for this uncommon presentation. This case report contributes to a growing body of literature on atypical HZ presentations in pediatric populations without any history of prior VZV infection or exposure.

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