Author(s): Seema Sharma, Vipin Sharma, N L Sharma
Fetal varicella syndrome is a rare condition of the newborn, presenting with cutaneous scars, limb defects, ocular and central nervous system abnormalities. It is due to varicella or zoster developing in the fetus following maternal varicella infection during early pregnancy. We are reporting a case of congenital varicella syndrome following maternal varicella during the 17th week of pregnancy. At birth, the newborn showed haemorregic and necrotic bullae on the skin along with a linear, depressed, erythematous scars over both lower limbs that healed later with characteristic scars. In view of the risk of serious malformations following intrauterine varicella infection attempts should be made to prevent varicella zoster virus infection during pregnancy.