Giant cell pneumonia caused by varicella zoster virus in a neonate

A premature male neonate, born at the 25th gestational week, developed pneumonia six days after delivery and died. Postmortem examination of the lungs revealed giant cell pneumonia with intranuclear inclusion bodies; varicella zoster infection was confirmed by immunoperoxidase stain using monoclonal antibody to varicella zoster virus and electron microscopic examination. In previously reported necropsy cases of numerous giant-cell formation in the lung is not mentioned. Therefore, the unusual features prompting this report include the absence of skin lesions in this mother and infant and the presence of giant cell pneumonia, not previously reported in varicella zoster infection.