Background
- Congenital varicella occurs when a pregnant mother develops primary varicella
- Highest risk for transmission to fetus is 8 to 20 weeks gestation, though the risk is still below 2%
Clinical Manifestations
- Syndrome is characterized by skin lesions, ocular defects, and limb abnormalities
- Skin lesions are scarring (cicatricial skin lesions)
- May be depressed and pigmented
- May follow a dermatomal pattern
- Ocular defects include cataracts, chorioretinitis, Horner syndrome, microphthalmos, and nystagmus
- Limb abnormalities include limb hypoplasia
- Can also affect the CNS, causing cortical atrophy, seizure, intellectual disability
