[Congenital varicella: limits of prenatal diagnosis].
BACKGROUND
Primary varicella infection during pregnancy is uncommon. Fetal varicella syndrome is unusual when varicella occurs after 20 weeks of gestation.


METHODS
A mother contracted chicken pox at 21 weeks and 3 days of gestation. Monthly monitoring was assured by the center for prenatal diagnosis, starting from 23 weeks. At 36 weeks, foetal echography detected liver calcifications, without other lesions. At 38 weeks, the patient went into spontaneous labour and delivered a male baby. The baby presented cicatricial skin lesions all over the body and scalp. The cerebral scan detected calcifications and a bilateral chorioretinitis was noticed. At 12 months, the infant had delayed psychomotor acquisitions, a cerebral cortical atrophy and blindness.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of fetal liver calcifications after chicken pox in the mother is a seldom reported sign. In our observation, liver calcifications were the single sign of a severe fetal damage.
Boumahni
B
B
Service de réanimation néonatale, groupe hospitalier Sud-Réunion, 97448 Saint-Pierre cedex, la Réunion, France. boumahni.b@wanadoo.fr
Kauffmann
E
E
Laffitte
A
A
Randrianaivo
H
H
Fourmaintraux
A
A
D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000151:congenital / Q000821:virology; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000151:congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000151:congenital* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002825:Chorioretinitis / Q000151:congenital / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000821:virology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal