Herpes zoster in infancy after intrauterine exposure to varicella zoster virus: report of two cases. 1994

J L Huang, and P C Sun, and I J Hung
Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.

Herpes zoster occurs very rarely in infancy. We report two infants who developed zoster-like lesions at three and seven months of age. They had no history of chickenpox after birth. Both mothers acquired varicella infection during their sixth month of pregnancy. The crops of vesicular rashes appeared in right L1-3 dermatomes in one patient and left V3, C2 dermatomes in the other. Laboratory findings demonstrated a four-fold rise in varicella zoster virus (VZV) IgG antibody in one patient and positive VZV IgM antibody in the other. Both infants received acyclovir treatment and the skin lesions healed rapidly without sequela. In infancy, herpes zoster may be the primary clinical manifestation of reactivation of latent VZV infection acquired transplacentally during intrauterine life.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007223 Infant A child between 1 and 23 months of age. Infants
D008297 Male Males
D011247 Pregnancy The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH. Gestation,Pregnancies
D011251 Pregnancy Complications, Infectious The co-occurrence of pregnancy and an INFECTION. The infection may precede or follow FERTILIZATION. Complications, Infectious Pregnancy,Infectious Pregnancy Complications,Maternal Sepsis,Pregnancy, Infectious Complications,Sepsis during Pregnancy,Sepsis in Pregnancy,Infectious Pregnancy Complication,Pregnancy Complication, Infectious,Sepsis in Pregnancies,Sepsis, Maternal
D002644 Chickenpox A highly contagious infectious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (HERPESVIRUS 3, HUMAN). It usually affects children, is spread by direct contact or respiratory route via droplet nuclei, and is characterized by the appearance on the skin and mucous membranes of successive crops of typical pruritic vesicular lesions that are easily broken and become scabbed. Chickenpox is relatively benign in children, but may be complicated by pneumonia and encephalitis in adults. (From Dorland, 27th ed) Varicella,Chicken Pox
D005260 Female Females
D006562 Herpes Zoster An acute infectious, usually self-limited, disease believed to represent activation of latent varicella-zoster virus (HERPESVIRUS 3, HUMAN) in those who have been rendered partially immune after a previous attack of CHICKENPOX. It involves the SENSORY GANGLIA and their areas of innervation and is characterized by severe neuralgic pain along the distribution of the affected nerve and crops of clustered vesicles over the area. (From Dorland, 27th ed) Shingles,Zona,Zoster
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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