CASE REPORTS   

Minerva Ginecologica 2006 April;58(2):177-82

Copyright © 2006 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Primary genital herpes infection in pregnancy

Orsini G., Laricchia L., Morelli L., Chiechi L. M.

Terza Unità Operativa di Ginecologia e Ostetricia Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche Generali e Specialistiche, Azienda Ospedaliera, Ospedale Policlinico Consorziale Università degli Studi di Bari, Bari, Italia

A case report of primary genital herpes infection in a 36-years old pregnant woman during her second pregnancy is presented; the patient was treated according to American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines. Maternal primary herpes simplex virus (HSV) genital infection arose at the 16th week of gestation and treated orally with acyclovir 400 mg 3 times a day for a period of 10 days. Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), positive on vaginal swab, resulted negative on the maternal serum and on the amniotic fluid (at the 21st week). The patient was monitored for the rest of her pregnancy and she received a suppressive oral acyclovir therapy (400 mg 3 times daily) from the 36th week of gestation until the vaginal delivery, occurred spontaneously at the 38th week with an HSV negative vaginal swab. The live male infant, weighing 3 050 g and with Apgar scores of 7-9 at 1 and 5 min, was delivered and in repeated clinical examinations resulted negative to HSV laboratory investigations with no evidence of herpes infection or adverse effects due to acyclovir therapy.