Herpes simplex oesophagitis in young children.

Herpes simplex oesophagitis is usually associated with debilitated, traumatized or immunologically-compromised hosts. We report here two cases of severe self-limiting oesophagitis in immunologically competent young children that were caused by herpes simplex type 1. This diagnosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute severe pain on swallowing in children for whom oral and pharyngeal pathology have been excluded.