Neonatal herpes simplex virus encephalitis with intracranial bleeding in a newborn baby with concurrent rhesus

Pascal Clemence1, Haika Mariki2, Martha Mkony3

  • 1Pediatrics and Child Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, United Republic of.

BMJ Case Reports
|March 8, 2024
PubMed

We report a baby with neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis concurrent with Rrhesus (Rh) incompatibility. He was delivered by a Ggravida 2 mother with a history of miscarriage in her previous pregnancy at a gestation age of 4 months. She had Bblood group 0 and Rrhesus negative. The baby was noticed to have jaundice on day one1 of life accompanied by generalised petechiae on the face and upper chest. A full blood picture revealed severe anaemia and severe thrombocytopaenia and HSV 1/2 IgM was positive. MRI of the brain showed multiple extensive haemorrhagic lesions on the frontal-temporal regions.