Severe varicella in a child immunosuppressed with methotrexate
Letícia Oba Galvão1, Carmelia Matos Santiago Reis1, Natália Lima Alves1
1Dermatology Service, Hospital Regional da Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
Insights
Severe varicella infection can occur in children using methotrexate, an immunosuppressive drug. Vaccination is recommended to prevent severe cases of chickenpox in immunocompromised children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Immunology
Background:
- Varicella (chickenpox) is typically a mild childhood illness.
- Immunosuppressed children face increased risk of severe varicella.
- Methotrexate is an immunosuppressive drug used for inflammatory conditions.
Abstract:
Varicella is a common viral infection in childhood and usually has a benign evolution. However, the evolution can be severe in immunosuppressed children. Vaccination can prevent its occurrence and especially the development of severe and/or complicated cases. Methotrexate is a systemic therapeutic option for many inflammatory diseases, and its immunosuppressive action exposes its users to a higher susceptibility to infection. The present report describes a case of severe varicella infection in a child immunosuppressed with methotrexate.
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