School of Medicine Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-27-2026
Abstract
We present the case of a seven-year-old fully immunized male who developed an intensely pruritic, generalized maculopapular rash that progressed to vesicles. The patient’s rash was initially diagnosed by his primary care provider as possible scabies and treated with topical permethrin. Our examination revealed a diffuse maculopapular and vesicular exanthem with lesions at various stages of evolution, eventually progressing to secondary cellulitis. The patient’s presentation, consistent with varicella (chickenpox), highlights the diagnostic challenges of breakthrough varicella infection and potential complications in fully vaccinated children. Thus, we highlight the importance of having a high clinical index of suspicion for varicella, even in fully immunized children.
Recommended Citation
Marupudi, S., Hensley, J., & Vezzetti, R. (2026). Atypical High-Burden Breakthrough Varicella: A Diagnostic Pitfall in the Two-Dose Vaccine Era. Cureus, 18(2), e104369. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.104369
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Publication Title
Cureus
DOI
10.7759/cureus.104369
Academic Level
medical student
Mentor/PI Department
Medical Education
Comments
© Copyright 2026 Marupudi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CCBY 4.0., which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.