[Varicella and herpes zoster in 83 children treated for malignancies (author's transl)]

57 children treated for malignant diseases presented with varicella and 26 with herpes zoster. Evolution of varicella was benign in 33 children but was complicated in 24, resulting in the death of 6 children. No child died of herpes zoster. The severity of skin and lung symptoms was of no prognostic value but digestive symptoms were associated with severe forms of the disease. Immuno-stimulation was of no use. Vidarabine did not improve the death rate; acycloguanosine is currently under study.