Herpes simplex type 1 presenting like herpes zoster ophthalmicus in an infant following infection in utero

ABSTRACT

A 4 1/2-month-old female infant developed vesicular skin eruptions along the distribution of the ophthalmic branch of the right trigeminal nerve, clinically typical of herpes zoster ophthalmicus. A review of the child's history and the laboratory work-up of both the patient and her mother showed that the infection was caused by herpes simplex virus and had been transmitted in utero from mother to child. This case shows that the clinical picture of herpes simplex virus infection can mimic herpes zoster ophthalmicus