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Neonatal herpes simplex 2 infection presenting with supraglottitis
  1. Nicholas W Machin1,
  2. David Morgan2,
  3. Andrew J Turner1,
  4. Gabrielle Lipshen3,
  5. Peter D Arkwright4
  1. 1Departments of Virology, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
  2. 2Paediatric Intensive Care, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester, UK
  3. 3Department of Paediatrics, Royal Bolton Hospital, Bolton, UK
  4. 4Department of Paediatric Allergy Immunology, University of Manchester Paediatric Immunology, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr N W Machin, Department of Virology, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL, UK; Nicholas.Machin{at}cmft.nhs.uk

Abstract

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a double stranded DNA virus capable of causing primary and recurrent infection. We describe an unusual case of neonatal HSV-2 infection presenting with supraglottitis. Despite a 2 month course of intravenous aciclovir followed by 2 months of oral valaciclovir, the infant subsequently developed HSV-2 encephalitis which responded to further antiviral treatment. The subsequent diagnosis of encephalitis highlights the importance of testing CSF for HSV to establish the presence of CNS infection in neonates and thus the potential benefit of longer term suppressive antiviral therapy.

  • Neonatology
  • Virology
  • Neurology

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