Human herpesviruses 6, 7, and 8 from a dermatologic perspective

Abstract

Human herpesviruses (HHVs) have frequently been suspected as etiologic agents or cofactors in cutaneous disease. However, clearly established associations are rare. Investigations into an etiologic association between HHVs and cutaneous disease are complicated by the ubiquity and nearly universal prevalence of some herpesviruses. This article summarizes the associations between cutaneous disease and HHV-6, HHV-7, and HHV-8. In addition to a personal library of references, the PubMed database of biomedical literature was searched using the following Medical Subject Heading terms: HHV-6, HHV-7, and HHV-8, each in conjunction with cutaneous manifestations, virology, epidemiology, dermatopathology, and therapeutics, between 1998 and March 2011. Free-text searches with known or suspected disease associations were added for broader coverage. The results have been summarized to provide a practical review for the physician likely to encounter cutaneous diseases.