All issues > Volume 46(9); 2003

Case Report

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 2003;46(9):939-949. Published online September 15, 2003.

A Case of Recurrent Herpes Simplex Virus Disease of a Preterm Infant, Who Needed Continuous Oral Acyclovir Suppressive Therapy

Sung Seok SS Kim¹, Ki Woong KW Hong¹, Eun Ryoung ER Kim¹, Young-Don YD Kim², Kyoo Man KM Lee³

¹Department of Pediatrics, Sung-Ae General Hospital, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan, Korea
³Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Eun Ryoung ER Kim ,Email: nicu@chollian.net

Abstract

Neonatal herpes simplex virus(HSV) infections result in significant morbidity and mortality. Although acyclovir treatment has improved survival, severe neurological sequelae can occur in the majority of survivors. HSV infections limited to the skin, eyes and mouth(SEM) can cause neurologic impairment. A direct correlation exists between the development of neurologic deficits and the frequency of cutaneous HSV recurrences. National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases(NIAID) Collaborative Antiviral Study Group conducted a phase I/II trial of continuous oral acyclovir therapy for the suppression of cutaneous recurrences. We describe a preterm infant who had two recurrences after neonatal SEM disease had been treated with intravenous acyclovir, and there were no more recurrences after continuous oral acyclovir suppressive therapy for six months. We report this case with a review of related literature.

Keywords :Herpes simplex virus, Acyclovir, Preterm infant, Skin, eyes and mouth(SEM)