Herpes zoster - associated erythema multiforme

Erythema multiforme is a cutaneous reaction that has only rarely been described in varicella zoster virus infection.

We describe a 76-year old immunocompetent male patient with thoracic herpes zoster. While treated with oral brivudin he developed a widespread cutaneous erythema multiforme. The lesions completely cleared with two weeks with systemic corticosteroids.

Varicella zoster infections are possible triggers of erythema multiforme and this is the oldest patient reported with such an association. Brivudin itself has not been reported to induce erythema multiforme and is an unlikely cause of disease in our patient.