原発性免疫不全症乳児に発症した水痘帯状疱疹ウイルス網膜炎

Varicella zoster viral retinitis in an immunodeficient newborn infant

　原発性免疫不全症の5カ月の男児が，水痘に罹患し，その3カ月後に両眼の急性網膜壊死が認められ，その1週間後に死亡した．剖検時に得られた眼球より，電顕的に網膜細胞の核内，細胞質内および細胞外にウイルス粒子が認められ，螢光抗体法，ウイルス分離の結果，水痘帯状疱疹ウイルスによるウイルス性網膜炎と判明した．

A 5-month-old male infant with severe primary immunodeficiency was affected by chickenpox. Bilateral acute retinal necrosis developed at 8 months, followed by death due to pneumonia one week later.

At autopsy, one eye was subjected to electron microscopy and the fellow eye was examined for identification of viral organism. Ultrastructure studies showed the presence of herpes group virus particles in all the layers in the affected retina. Immunofluorescent antibody testing and tissue cul-ture proved this virus to be varicella zoster. The finding indicates that varicella zoster virus may induce acute retinal necrosis.