Chronic varicella zoster in a child infected with human immunodeficiency virus: case report and review of the literature.

Chronic zoster represents an infrequent presentation of varicella zoster virus infection. It is observed with increased frequency in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus, especially when their lymphocyte counts are depressed. We report a child infected with human immunodeficiency virus who showed a long-standing cutaneous zoster lesion and was treated for a prolonged period of time with acyclovir. The occurrence of resistance to acyclovir by varicella zoster virus was suspected based on the clinical picture. The clinical and laboratory features of this case and a review of the literature are presented.