Bilateral Acute Retinal Necrosis and Encephalomalacia Due to Herpes Simplex Virus Infection in a Premature Infant

ABSTRACT

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a common pathogen, that causes a broad spectrum of diseases, ranging from minor skin infections to severe encephalitis and widespread infections. Acute retinal necrosis (ARN), one of the most serious manifestations of HSV infection, is defined as a rapidly progressing necrotizing retinopathy that presents discrete areas of circumferential retinal necrosis, along with signs of uveitis, vitreitis, and retinal vasculitis. We encountered a case of a female infant, born at 33 weeks of gestation with a body weight at birth of 2,080 g, who had ARN and encephalomalacia due to HSV infection. ARN associated with HSV infection should be suspected when nonspecific retinal exudates are observed in neonates, especially preterm infants.