Gianotti-Crosti syndrome associated with endogenous reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus.

A 6-year-old girl with Gianotti-Crosti syndrome, which appeared to be caused by a reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), is presented. The patient had had infectious mononucleosis at the age of 3 years. Since the titer of anti-EBV capsid antigen antibody was high at 1,280 and the titer of early antigen DR IgG, which increases during the early stage or reactivation, was high at 80 during the recovery stage, the patient was diagnosed as having Gianotti-Crosti syndrome associated with reactivation of EBV. Its clinical symptoms associated with reactivation of EBV were similar to those of that associated with primary EBV infection, in that the present patient had acrolocated papulovesicular dermatitis, superficial lymph node enlargement and mild hepatopathy. This patient provides valuable information in that reactivation was also observed with EBV like other types of herpesvirus. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel