Have Itchy Marks On Buttocks. Could It Be Genital Herpes?

Posted on Tue, 6 Nov 2012

Question: a friends daughter has bite looking marks on her buttocks that itch.. looks like mosquito bites, her vagina area is red like she has a yeast infection... she recently stayed overnite in the hospital with severe asthma after 2 days of throwing up and diahrea... she is 5...what is going on? my friend thinks it might be genital herpes as she has it....

Answered by Dr. Uma Rajah Ananth (2 hours later)

Hi,

Thanks for the query.

I have noted the details submitted with diligence.
.
The child is prone to vaginal candidiasis (fungus infection) in view of
1. Antibiotic use
2. Steroid use in asthma
3. Difficulty in maintaining local hygiene in a severely ill child.
All these parameters could have triggered vaginal candidiasis. The vaginal redness might be related.

Regarding your friend's question whether it is genital herpes-
Genital herpes comes to the child under 2 conditions
1. If the mother has it and the baby gets it from vaginal delivery at birth (here the manifestations are different)
2. Child abuse

Sometimes direct skin to skin contact or sharing might transfer the infection from close associates to the child.

Presuming there were no such exposures, it is unlikely to be genital herpes. By the way she can discuss it with her pediatrician as the doctor can easily distinguish the two conditions clinically and allay her anxiety!

Hope this explains your doubts. Let me know if you have other concerns.

All the best!!

Dr Uma

Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad