Disseminated varicella infection in a child receiving short-term steroids for asthma.

An 8-year-old boy, treated with a short course of steroids for asthma, developed a fever with abdominal pain and a generalized vesicular rash after contact with varicella-infected classmates. The clinical presentation was disseminated varicella infection with multiple organ involvement. We confirmed varicella zoster virus using a direct fluorescent antibody test. This report demonstrates the increased risk of complicated varicella associated with the use of corticosteroids, even for a short period of time.