ABSTRACT
Neonatal herpes simplex viral infections are rare in the setting of appropriate prenatal care; however, under circumstances where prenatal care is not delivered, these infections can lead to significant disease. We report a fatal case of herpes simplex virus with severe herpes hepatitis in a 14-day old male neonate. The clinical history was limited and nonspecific, however there was no prenatal care and a known history of drug abuse in the family. Autopsy revealed extensive necrosis and hemorrhage of the liver and cerebellum. Histologically, the liver revealed viral intranuclear ground glass inclusions, characteristic of herpes virus. Immunohistochemistry for herpes simplex virus performed on the both the liver and cerebellum showed strong diffuse staining in the liver and negative staining in the cerebellum. Neonatal herpes simplex virus infection is a disease of low prevalence with significant morbidity and mortality, and an exceptionally high rate of fatality in those with disseminated disease with associated fulminant hepatic failure.
Subject(s)
Hepatitis, Viral, Human/virology , Herpes Simplex/complications , Liver Failure, Acute/virology , Viremia , Female , Hepatitis, Viral, Human/diagnosis , Herpes Simplex/diagnosis , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Male , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/diagnosisABSTRACT
A case of toxic shock syndrome associated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus parotitis in a 13-year-old male is presented. He was initially diagnosed with left-sided parotitis by his primary care physician, was started on sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, and became severely ill the following day. He was transported to the hospital after a syncopal episode at home and was found to have altered mental status, hypotension, and hypoxia. He was transferred to a larger care facility and died en route despite aggressive resuscitation. At autopsy, he was found to have a severe left-sided parotitis, severe pulmonary congestion, edema, and pneumonia, as well as bilateral lower limb hemorrhagic lesions. Blood cultures from the time of admission and at autopsy grew methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which is rarely reported as the sole cause of parotitis. In addition, although S. aureus bacteremia is not necessarily a rare complication of a parotid gland infection, it is exceedingly rare in an immunocompetent adolescent.
