Track

Case Reports

Abstract

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is nearly ubiquitous and plays a role in the pathogenesis of a wide variety of acute and chronic diseases. Cutaneous manifestations of EBV include viral exanthems, chronic infections, malignancies, and small vessel vasculitides. Clinically and histopathologically, many of these conditions can imitate each other, making diagnosis challenging. Here we present a case of an 8-year-old girl who developed fever, lymphadenopathy, and a symmetric vesicular and papular eruption on the trunk and extremities resembling Gianotti-Crosti syndrome. Biopsy of one of the lesions showed papillary dermal edema, lymphocytic exocytosis, and an eosinophil-rich small vessel vasculitis, representing an unusual presentation of EBV. We review the literature on EBV-induced cutaneous small vessel vasculitis and discuss pathomechanisms. Furthermore, we discuss the various presentations of EBV in the skin with a focus on clinical and histopathologic mimickers.