Congenital Varicella Syndrome:a Rare Case of Central Nervous System Involvement Without Dermatological Features

Abstract

An unusual case of congenital varicella syndrome with significant central nervous system involvement, but without dermatological features at birth is described. The mother contracted chicken pox at 15 weeks' gestation. Congenital varicella syndrome involves multiple systems, but rarely without skin lesions identifiable at birth. Although varicella infection in pregnant women is an uncommon complication, the fetal embryopathy that may result can be devastating. Antenatal diagnosis of fetal embryopathy during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy should be established by amniocentesis or cordocentesis when a mother presents in the first trimester with chicken pox, and appropriate risk counselling provided.

Evaluation of anti-varicella antibody in young women before their marriage: A sero-epidemiologic study in Iran

“…13 In other words, although this infection is uncommon in pregnant women, the resulting foetal embryopathy can be devastating. 14,15 In this study, we found that 72.7% of young women who intend to marry were immune to chickenpox. In a similar study conducted in Turkey, 77.8% of 4387 subjects under age 30 were seropositive for VZV.…”