Viral infections of the skin and mucous membranes are frequently diagnosed in daily dermatological practice. In some cases already the morphology of skin lesions could suggest viral etiology. Introduction of new methods in the viral skin disorders diagnostics may contribute to early diagnosis confirmation. Moreover, the advances in therapeutical approaches has been reported. Epidemiology, molecular-biologic features, clinical and diagnostic as well as therapeutic aspects of these common diseases are summarized in this review.

        Key words: skin - mucous membranes - virus - HSV - HPV - Coxsackie - diagnosis - management -epidemiology