[A clinically unrecognised and persistent facial folliculitis: herpes folliculitis]

Marjolein F E Leenarts1, Hans L G Blaauwgeers, Rick Hoekzema

  • 1Academisch Medisch Centrum/Universiteit van Amsterdam, afd. Huidziekten, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. mleenarts@hotmail.com

A 33-year-old woman presented with a 5-year history of a relapsing erythematous, indurated plaque on the left cheek. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) immunostain revealed the presence of HSV in the follicular and perifollicular keratinocytes. After oral treatment with valaciclovir for a period of 3 months the lesion disappeared without leaving a scar. At the last check-up, no recurrence had occurred. Herpes folliculitis has various clinical presentations. In rare cases it mimics a pseudolymphoma, as was the case for this patient. A viral aetiology, such as HSV or varicella-zoster virus, should be considered in patients with folliculitis, especially when the condition does not respond to antibacterial and antifungal therapy.

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