[2][3] It is also often observed in thumb-sucking children with primary HSV-1 oral infection (autoinoculation) prior to seroconversion,[1] and in adults aged 20 to 30 following contact with HSV-2-infected genitals.

Small, clear vesicles initially form individually, then merge and become cloudy, unlike in bacterial whitlow when there is pus.

[5] It may reside in axillary sensory ganglia to cause recurrent herpetic lesions on that arm or digits.

[7] Although it is a self-limited illness, oral or intravenous antiviral treatments, particularly acyclovir, have been used in the management of immunocompromised or severely infected patients.

[9] Even though the disease is self-limiting, as with many herpes infections, the virus lies dormant in the peripheral nervous system.