Herpetic whitlow of the toe.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a common pathogen that can infect any cutaneous or mucocutaneous site. Although the most common types of primary infections are gingivostomatitis and genital herpes, l infection of the finger is also frequently reported. In 1909 Adamson published the first report of herpetic infections of the hand.2 The term herpetic whitlow was first applied by Stern in his 1959 description of 54 neurosurgical unit nurses with infections of the finger. \Vhitlow comes from the Scandinavian whichflaw, which means a crack in the sensitive area around the nail. 3 Some authors have expanded the definition of whitlow to describe all digital herpetic infections, including the uncommonly reported herpetic infection of the toe. The following case report describes a case of herpetic whitlow of the toe with a previously unreported mode of infection.