Congenital skin lesions caused by intrauterine infection with coxsackievirus B3

Background: Serious neonatal coxsackievirus infections transplacentally acq uired in late pregnancy involve primarily the central nervous system, heart , liver and rarely the skin. Patients and Methods: A boy born with a disseminated papulovesicular, nodul ar, bullous and necrotic ulcerated rash at 39 weeks gestational age develop ed pneumonia, carditis and hepatitis during the first days after birth. Mol ecular biological and serological methods were used for virological diagnos is. Results: Coxsackievirus B-3 (CVB3) was found in throat swabs and/or feces o f the neonate and his mother. In addition, there was serological evidence o f intra uterine infection. Conclusion: Intrauterine transmission of CVB3 during late pregnancy may lea d to varicella-like congenital skin lesions.