Oral acyclovir therapy for varicella and zoster infections in pediatric and pregnant patients: a brief review.

Oral acyclovir recently was approved for the treatment of herpes zoster and has been shown to be effective in the treatment of varicella. Studies of the use of high-dose oral acyclovir in the management of varicella-zoster infections in immunocompetent pediatric patients are reviewed. Guidelines are provided for the drug's use in immunocompetent children and adolescents, pregnant patients, and pediatric atopic patients receiving systemic steroids.