A 5-year-old girl came into the office complaining of severe burning and tingling sensation of her right forehead. She’d had fever, chills, myalgia, and a relentless headache for 3 days. The morning of her appointment, a few “bumps” and water-filled blisters began to appear on the right side of the forehead; the lesions then started to multiply and grow (FIGURE). The patient’s mother expressed concern over the rapid development of the lesions, which were accompanied by marked edema of the forehead and right eyelid. The mother indicated that no one else in the family was affected at the time of presentation.
The child appeared ill and pale at the time of presentation, but there was no history of immediate antecedent illness or any drug intake prior to the current eruption. Her growth and development were in the lower normal range. The child had a history of recurrent bacterial infections; she was not vaccinated for varicella. There was, however, a personal (and family) history of varicella when the child was about 3 years old.
FIGURE
Vesicles and bullae on forehead
On physical examination, there were multiple vesicles and bullae that varied in size from 2 mm to 1 cm in diameter on the right side of the forehead; there were areas of dried yellowish serous exudates limited to the right eyebrow. The forehead and periorbital areas were edematous with underlying erythematous skin. The entire eruption appeared to be restricted to the right upper part of the face, extending from the eyelid and medial canthus up to the frontal scalp. On close examination, several vesicles and crusts were present on the right side of the nasal tip. Serology for HIV was negative.
What is your diagnosis?
How would you treat?