Antiviral drug therapy of infections caused by Herpes simplex and Varicella Zoster viruses

Herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 may cause painful mucocutaneous lesions in both immunosuppressed and immunocompetent patients. Indications for the use of acyclovir (ACV) are reviewed. In the second part the management of infections caused by varicella-zoster virus are discussed. Primary varicella (chickenpox) in immunosuppressed children should be treated with i.v. ACV without delay. In healthy patients varicella pneumonia needs to be treated with ACV. Healthy patients with herpes zoster are not usually candidates for antiviral therapy. The only exception is herpes zoster ophthalmicus. In patients with severe immunosuppression, such as transplant recipients, ACV therapy is recommended in order to reduce the rate of dissemination. First reports and our own observations on the development of ACV-resistant HSV and VZV isolates stress the importance of discriminating use of ACV and other antiviral compounds in immunosuppressed patients.