title: Congenital varicella syndrome diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction--scarring of the spinal cord, not the skin.
abstract: A term infant with congenital varicella syndrome (CVS) is reported. Monoplegia of the left arm and paraplegia were present with no evidence of dermatomal skin scarring. Following death at 12 days of age, autopsy documented severe atrophy and gliosis of the spinal cord. Testing for varicella-zoster virus by the polymerase chain reaction method on brain tissue was positive. This case extends the current understanding of the clinical and pathological features of CVS.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neonatology and Pathology, Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children and Virology Unit ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wojtulewicz
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Ratnamohan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arbuckle
mesh_terms: D002644:Chickenpox / Q000151:congenital* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000151:congenital* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006228:Hand Deformities, Congenital / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*; D013577:Syndrome; D014034:Toes / Q000002:abnormalities