Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2016 Apr;91(2):216-8.
doi: 10.1590/abd1806-4841.20163870.

Cutaneous neonatal herpes simplex virus infection type 2: a case report

Maraya de Jesus Semblano Bittencourt  1 , Lívia Karlla Marinho Freitas  1 , Marion Guimarães Drago  1 , Alessandra Haber Carvalho  1 , Bianca Angelina Macêdo do Nascimento  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Cutaneous neonatal herpes simplex virus infection type 2: a case report

Maraya de Jesus Semblano Bittencourt et al. An Bras Dermatol. 2016 Apr.

Abstract

Neonatal herpes is a serious condition. Newborns can be contaminated in utero via transplacental hematogenic transmission, upon delivery (the most frequent route), or during the postnatal period (indirect transmission). Optimal management requires prompt and accurate recognition, particularly in newborns, in order to prevent complications. Acyclovir is the treatment of choice, but its implementation is often delayed while awaiting test results, such as PCR and serology. Cytology for diagnostic purposes is rarely used in dermatology, despite the quick and reliable results. We report a case of neonatal herpes caused by type 2 herpes simplex virus diagnosed by cytology.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A: Erythematous plaques presenting vesicle areas grouped in herpetiform, ulceration, and scab patterns, distributed throughout the regions of the face, neck, anterior thorax, and right upper limb. B: Detail of the vesicles submitted to the cytological exam
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cytological exam stained by Giemsa, showing the presence of a large volume of multinucleated keratinocytes
Figure 3
Figure 3
Lesional aspect after ten days of treatment with acyclovir
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Araújo T, Schacner L. Benign vesicopustular eruptions in the neonate. An Bras Dermatol. 2006;81:359–366.
    1. Kesson AL. Management of Neonatal Herpes Simplex Virus Infection. Paediatr Drugs. 2001;3:81–90. - PubMed
    1. Whitley R, Arvin A. Herpes simplex virus infections. In: Klein JR, Klein J, editors. Infectious diseases of the fetus and newborn infant. Philadelphia: Saunders; 1995. pp. 354–376.
    1. Corey L, Wald A. Maternal and neonatal herpes simplex virus infections. N Engl J Med. 2009;361:1376–1385. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Brown ZA, Benedetti J, Ashley R, Burchett S, Selke S, Berry S, et al. Neonatal herpes simplex virus infection in relation to asymptomatic maternal infection at the time of labor. N Engl J Med. 1991;324:1247–1252. - PubMed

Publication types

Supplementary concepts

LinkOut - more resources