PEDIATRICS Vol. 16 No. 5 November 1955, pp. 609-618
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Barbero, G. J.
Right arrow Articles by Kempe, C. H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Barbero, G. J.
Right arrow Articles by Kempe, C. H.

VACCINIA GANGRENOSA TREATED WITH HYPERIMMUNE VACCINAL GAMMA GLOBULIN

Giulio J. Barbero 1, Alan Gray 2, Thomas F. McNair Scott 3, and C. Henry Kempe 3

1 Fellow of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis., The Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Department of Pediatrics, University of California (Dr. Kempe).
2 Postdoctorate Research Fellow of the United States Public Health Service., The Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Department of Pediatrics, University of California (Dr. Kempe).
3 The Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Department of Pediatrics, University of California (Dr. Kempe).

The case of a 5-year-old boy who showed progressive necrosis of the site of a primary vaccination on the left deltoid area is reported. The term vaccinia gangrenosa is suggested to distinguish such cases from other types of generalized vaccinia. By the time he was first seen at the hospital, 4 months after the vaccination, there were metastatic lesions to other areas of skin on the arm, chest, scalp and to the shaft of the fourth metacarpal of time right hand where an osteomyelitis developed. Vaccinia virus was isolated from the necrotic lesion of the skin of the arm and from the bone lesion. No circulating antibodies to vaccinia virus were found in the blood stream.

Upon treatment with hypermmune vaccinal gamma globulin derived from recently vaccinated adults the lesion immediately showed healing. After a total of 5 doses, given over the course of 6 weeks, vaccinia virus was no longer detectable in the skin lesion. All primary and metastatic lesions were completely healed by 4frac12 months after the first treatment. This boy is unusual for 2 reasons: (a) he appears to be the first patient to have survived this complication of routine smallpox vaccination, and (b) an osteomyelitis which developed was shown to be due to vaccinia virus.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Clin. Microbiol. Rev.Home page
M. A. Keller and E. R. Stiehm
Passive Immunity in Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases
Clin. Microbiol. Rev., October 1, 2000; 13(4): 602 - 614.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]