kaposi's varicelliform eruption
Noun: A rare, severe skin infection that occurs when the herpes simplex virus (HSV) or vaccinia virus infects a person, typically a child, who already has a pre-existing skin condition like atopic dermatitis (eczema). The condition is characterized by a sudden, widespread eruption of vesicles (small fluid-filled blisters) and papulovesicles (bumps that turn into blisters), accompanied by high fever and systemic illness.
This is a highly specific medical term. It is used almost exclusively in clinical, dermatological, and historical medical contexts to describe this particular severe complication.
Examples: * The infant with severe eczema was hospitalized with a diagnosis of Kaposi's varicelliform eruption following exposure to the herpes virus. * Kaposi's varicelliform eruption is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires immediate antiviral treatment. * Before the decline of smallpox vaccination, Kaposi's varicelliform eruption was a recognized risk for individuals with atopic dermatitis who received the vaccinia virus vaccine.
- The term is often used in its full form, Kaposi's varicelliform eruption, but may be abbreviated in medical notes as KVE.
- It is sometimes used more broadly to describe a similar widespread blistering eruption caused by other viruses (like Coxsackievirus) in immunocompromised patients, though this is an extended application of the term.
- Eczema herpeticum: This is the modern, more precise term for the condition when it is caused specifically by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). It is often used synonymously with Kaposi's varicelliform eruption in contemporary medical literature.
- Disseminated herpes simplex: A descriptive phrase for the same condition, emphasizing the widespread nature of the viral infection.
- Eczema herpeticum (for HSV-induced cases)
- Eczema vaccinatum (for vaccinia virus-induced cases, specifically from the smallpox vaccine)
This term has a single, very specific medical meaning. It is named after the dermatologist Moritz Kaposi, who first described it. The "varicelliform" part of the name means "resembling chickenpox (varicella)," referring to the appearance of the blistering rash.
- a now rare complication of vaccinia superimposed on atopic dermatitis with high fever and generalized vesicles and papulovesicles