Herpangina is a common childhood disease which I frequently encounter in my The Woodlands dermatology and Conroe dermatology clinics. Herpangina is caused by many different types of coxsackie viruses, echoviruses, and enterovirus 71. Patients typically develop fever, headache and flu like symptoms in the beginning of the infection. The characteristic skin finding are white vesicles (blisters) in the throat, soft palate, and tonsils surrounded by a halo of red. Ultimately, the vesicles ulcerate leaving lesions with a “punched out” appearance, which resolve in ten days. The location of the vesicles in the posterior oropharynx differentiates Herpangina from oral herpes and apthous ulcers. Treatment is supportive care as the disease is usually self limiting.
