Viral skin diseases

Abstract

Virusne bolesti kože čine veliku skupinu infektivnih bolesti koje zahvaćaju naš najveći organ – kožu. Uzročnici su iz jedne od dvije velikih skupina virusa, DNA ili RNA virusi, koji parazitiraju unutar stanica. Nakon primarne infekcije neki od virusa ostaju trajno u organizmu u fazi latencije te uzrokuju perzistentne infekcije s povremenim reaktivacijama. Kožne promjene nastaju kao posljedica izravnih učinaka virusne replikacije ili imunološkog odgovora domaćina na prisutnost virusa. Ova stanja obično se očituju kao lokalizirane bolesti s egzantemom i pratećim enantemom, iako ponekad predstavljaju kožne manifestacije brojnih sistemskih virusnih infekcija. U određenim slučajevima kožne promjene su specifične i ukazuju na određenu virusnu bolest, što onda olakšava dijagnozu. Kožne manifestacije mogu biti odraz oslabljenog imunološkog sustava zbog utjecaja nekih sistemskih bolesti, kao što je AIDS, ili ijatrogene imunosupresije. Iako virusne bolesti kože najčešće nisu opasne po život, posebno u imunokompetentnih domaćina, zbog čestih recidiva, nelagode te narušavanja estetike dovode do značajnog narušavanja kvalitete života. Cilj rada je prikazati patogenezu i kliničku prezentaciju najčešćih virusnih bolesti kože te razmotriti moderne pristupe u liječenju i skrbi za pacijente oboljele od ovih bolesti.Viral skin diseases constitute a large group of infectious diseases that affect our largest organ - the skin. They are caused by two main groups of viruses, DNA and RNA types, both of which are obligatory intracellular parasites. After a primary infection some of the viruses remain permanently in the body in the latency stage and cause persistent infections with occasional recurrences. Skin lesions are a result of direct viral replication effects, or of the host response to the presence of the virus. These conditions usually present as localised diseases with exanthem and accompanying enanthem, although they also sometimes represent cutaneous manifestations of numerous systemic viral infections. In some cases, skin lesions are specific and indicate a specific viral disease, which then facilitates the diagnosis. Cutaneous manifestations may be a reflection of disturbed functions of the immune system due to the effect of various systemic diseases, such as AIDS or iatrogenic immunosuppression. Although viral skin diseases usually are not life-threatening in immunocompetent hosts, because of frequent recurrence, discomfort, or aesthetics, they result in significant quality-of-life impairment. The objective is to demonstrate the patogensis and clinical presentation of the most common viral skin diseases and to review modern approaches to management and care for patients suffering from these diseases