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Three cases of neonatal herpes simplex virus infection presenting as fulminant hepatitis

  • Infectious Diseases
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Abstract

We report three cases of neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection presenting as fulminant hepatitis. None of the patients had clear risk factors for HSV infection and they all died. Antiviral treatment for HSV is currently available but must be administered early in the course of the disease before irreversible liver tissue damage is present. Since the diagnosis may be difficult to establish, we wish to draw the attention of clinicians to the presentation of neonatal HSV infection and suggest that in such cases viral cultures, including culture of liver tissue, should be obtained early and antiviral treatment administered while awaiting the culture results.

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Abbreviations

HSV:

herpes simplex virus

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Paediatrics, Hôpital cantonal Universitaire, 30, boulevard de la Cluse, CH-1211, Geneve 4, Switzerland

    N. Benador & S. Suter

  2. Department of Pathology, Hôpital cantonal Universitaire, 30, boulevard de la Cluse, CH-1211, Geneve 4, Switzerland

    N. Benador & S. Suter

  3. Department of Paediatrics, University of Zürich, CH-8032, Zürich, Switzerland

    C. Braegger, S. Fanconi, V. Talebzadeh & J. Cox

  4. Department of Pathology, University of Zürich, CH-8032, Zürich, Switzerland

    S. Hassam

  5. Department of Paediatrics, University of Mainz, D-6500, Mainz, Germany

    W. Mannhardt & D. Schranz

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  1. N. Benador
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  2. W. Mannhardt
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  4. C. Braegger
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  5. S. Fanconi
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  7. V. Talebzadeh
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  8. J. Cox
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  9. S. Suter
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Benador, N., Mannhardt, W., Schranz, D. et al. Three cases of neonatal herpes simplex virus infection presenting as fulminant hepatitis. Eur J Pediatr 149, 555–559 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01957691

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01957691

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