Uvulo-palatoglossal junctional ulcers--an early clinical sign of exanthem subitum due to human herpesvirus 6

A provisional clinical diagnosis of exanthem subitum was made in six febrile infants seen in the Paediatric Unit of Assunta Hospital, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia with uvulo-palatoglossal junctional ulcers prior to the eruption of maculopapular rash. On follow-up, all six infants developed maculopapular rash with the subsidence of fever at the end of the fourth febrile day. Human herpesvirus 6 was isolated from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells during the acute phase of the illness and HHV 6 specific genome was also detected in these cells by nested polymerase chain reaction. All the six infants showed seroconversion for both specific IgG and IgM to the isolated virus. This study suggests that the presence of uvulo-palatoglossal junctional ulcers could be a useful early clinical sign of exanthem subitum due to human herpesvirus 6.