Symptom Resolution in Acyclovir Treated Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

Paul Gursky¹, Jennifer Nguyen^1, , Bryan Pacheco¹, William Butler¹ and Melodie Mope MD²

¹Florida State University College of Medicine, Orlando Campus, Orlando, FL USA

²Orlando Health Physicians Associates, Orlando, FL USA

Cite this paper:
Paul Gursky, Jennifer Nguyen, Bryan Pacheco, William Butler and Melodie Mope MD. Symptom Resolution in Acyclovir Treated Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. American Journal of Medical Case Reports. 2020; 8(12):456-458. doi: 10.12691/ajmcr-8-12-6

Abstract

Background: Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is a highly contagious virus primarily affecting young children, but may also impact older children and adults. Initial symptoms typically manifest as fever, malaise, and pharyngitis, followed by eruption of erythematous, papular lesions on the palms and soles. HFMD is typically treated with supportive care, as there is no current gold standard therapy for HFMD. However, based on previous case studies, acyclovir has demonstrated its potential as a viable treatment for HFMD. Case Presentation: A 37-year-old female patient presented to the clinic with a two-day history of fever, malaise, pharyngitis, and papulovesicular skin lesions on her hands and feet. A clinical diagnosis of HFMD was made, and the patient was promptly started on oral acyclovir 800 mg, three times daily for seven days. Within two days of acyclovir treatment, the patient’s fever subsided, and the skin lesions on the hands and feet were fully resolved. Conclusion: Our case report showcases the benefits of acyclovir therapy in treating HFMD. Acyclovir treatment provided our patient symptomatic relief, resulting in defervescence and complete resolution of skin lesions. Symptom duration and severity were lessened significantly within the first couple days of therapy. Acyclovir therapy has shown promising results for potential HFMD treatment, and we encourage additional studies to further evaluate its efficacy.

Keywords:
hand foot and mouth disease acyclovir coxsackievirus pediatric rash

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