A case of adult chickenpox with the first symptom in the oral cavity

Chickenpox is a common infection due to varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which generally occurs in childhood. However, the incidence of chickenpox in adults is increasing because of changes in the social environment. In this paper, we report a case of adult chickenpox with the first symptom in the oral cavity. A 32-year-old Japanese woman presented with palatal ulcerative lesions and many bullae on her skin. The first symptom was continuous spontaneous pain at the left upper molar, present for 15 days before her first visit. Intravenous and oral acyclovir was given for a clinical diagnosis of VZV infection. Although the serum antibody examination showed no evidence of VZV infection, the symptoms led to a diagnose of adult chickenpox.