Case Report
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Jan 26, 2021; 9(3): 685-689
Published online Jan 26, 2021. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i3.685
Oral and perioral herpes simplex virus infection type I in a five-month-old infant: A case report
Ashwag Yagoub Aloyouny, Hamad Nasser Albagieh, Rasha Hamed Al-Serwi
Ashwag Yagoub Aloyouny, Rasha Hamed Al-Serwi, Basic Dental Science Department, College of Dentistry, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11671, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Hamad Nasser Albagieh, Oral Medicine and Diagnostic Science Department, College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh 12372, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Author contributions: Aloyouny AY served as the patient’s oral medicine specialist, reviewed the literature, and contributed to data collection, data interpretation, and manuscript drafting; Albagieh HN and Al-Serwi RH contributed to data collection, data interpretation, manuscript drafting, and manuscript revision; all authors have issued final approval for the version to be submitted.
Supported by Deanship of Scientific Research at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University through the Fast-track Research Funding Program.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Ashwag Yagoub Aloyouny, DDS, Doctor, Basic Dental Science Department, College of Dentistry, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, King Khalid International Airport Road, Riyadh 11671, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. ayaloyouny@pnu.edu.sa
Received: September 12, 2020
Peer-review started: September 12, 2020
First decision: November 30, 2020
Revised: December 4, 2020
Accepted: December 16, 2020
Article in press: December 16, 2020
Published online: January 26, 2021
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a highly infectious pathogen that is easily transmitted via the bodily fluids of an infected individual. This virus usually affects individuals older than six months of age, and rarely causes lesions or symptoms in younger patients.

CASE SUMMARY

We present the case of a five-month-old healthy girl who presented with painful herpetic gingivostomatitis and perioral vesicles. We discuss the pathophysiology of primary HSV infection and the effect of maternal antibodies on the infant’s immune system. In addition, we explain the diagnosis, management, and prognosis of HSV infection in young infants.

CONCLUSION

This case highlights the importance of early diagnosis and management of HSV infections to decrease the risk of developing severe complications and death.

Keywords: Herpetic gingivostomatitis, Oral lesions, Herpes simplex virus, Perioral lesions, Infants, Case report, Herpes simplex virus type 1

Core Tip: Although the herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is highly contagious, it rarely develops in infants younger than six months of age. Our patient presented with oral and perioral manifestations of HSV type 1 infection. Early diagnosis and management of HSV infections is important to decrease the risk of developing severe complications.