Viral skin infections: diagnosis and treatment considerations.

Skin lesions are prominent features of many viral diseases. In some instances, characteristic skin lesions suggest a specific viral illness, the diagnosis of which can be quickly established by appropriate procedures. In addition to clinical manifestations, laboratory methods including virus isolation are used to diagnose viral infections. In viral diseases, prophylaxis has proved more successful than the specific treatment of established infection. However, recent progress in molecular biology has facilitated the development of new vaccines and new drugs to treat viral infections.