Herpetic Whitlow following Herpes labialis infection

An 8-year-old boy presented for treatment with a four-day history of pain and parasthesia in the tight thumb. The child had suffered an outbreak of Herpes labialis six days previously. On examination, the thumb appeared inflamed and swollen, with vesicular eruptions. The most likely cause of the thumb infection was a history of thumb-sucking. However, it could also occur if the child had a prior history of HSV1 or HSV2 infection in genital secretions. The thumb condition is similar to that seen in medical and dental personnel who contract HSV1 infections from their patients.

Herpetic whitlow was first described by Adamson