Herpetic whitlow: report of a case with multiple recurrences.

A case of recurrent herpetic whitlow is discussed. The patient, a dental assistant at the time of her initial infection, developed herpetic whitlow caused by herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). She has subsequently experienced nine recurrent infections with lesion spread, scarring, and persistent paresthesia. The severity of the most recent recurrences appears to have diminished, and prodromal sensations, that is, increased local sensitivity, have occurred without the subsequent development of lesions.