Response of early disseminated Herpes simplex to acycloguanosine: a case report

Acycloguanosine, an anti-viral agent with few side effects and good activity in vitro against Herpes simplex, has not produced a consistently high cure rate in clinical practice (1). This may in part be related to delayed initiation of therapy (2). We describe a case of disseminated Herpes simplex (DHS) in an immunocompromised child (which is normally associated with a fatal outcome) who responded rapidly and completely to treatment with acycloguanosine.