Viral infections of the face

Viral infections affecting the face may cause significant morbidity, cosmetic disfigurement, and psychological distress. The success of therapy needs whole and correct evaluation of the clinical signs and symptoms. Some viruses such as Papillomaviridae, Herpesviridae, and Polyomaviridae primarily infect the facial skin, whereas others affect the face infrequently, as in parapox virus infections. Sometimes, involvement of the face can be a part of more generalized eruption and systemic symptoms in viral infections caused by Todaviridae, Flaviviridae, Arenaviridiae, and Flaviviridae. Clinical diagnosis can be challenging in various viral diseases when they occur in nonendemic geographic areas. The objective of this review was to concentrate on epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of the viral illnesses with facial skin involvement.