Acyclovir-resistant varicella infection with atypical lesions in a non-HIV leukemic infant

An HIV-negative infant presented with VZV primary infection during the maintenance therapy for mega-karyoblastic leukaemia. The lesions were initially vesicular and necrotic but became verrucous and hyperkerato tic. A clinical resistance to acyclovir was suspected and confirmed by histologic and virologic studies. The patient was successfully treated by foscarnet. Conclusion: resistance of VZV to acyclovir may occur after a short treatment in a non-AIDS patient. ± Acute leukaemia, acyclovir, foscarnet, Varicella zoster virus