Generalized herpesvirus infection with severe consumption coagulopathy in a newborn infant

In a mature newborn the symptoms of a disseminated HSV infection were evident at the 6th day of life. Later on bleeding occurred as a result of severe consumption coagulopathy. During treatment with Acyclovir the bleeding situation was controlled by fibrinogen replacement. The infant survived and is under normal psychologic and motorical development now. The treatment result is taken for the good virostatic efficacy of Acyclovir. It inhibits the DNA polymerases and therefore the DNA replication within the herpes viruses selectively. This high degree of selectivity is caused by its selective penetration into the infected cells, its faster transformation by the viral thymidine kinase as well as by its stronger affinity for HSV coded polymerase in detail. The diagnosis had been confirmed by detection of herpes viruses within the blister fluid and cerebrospinal fluid as well as by serological findings.