Skip to main content
PMC home page
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 1989 Oct;44(10):812–815. doi: 10.1136/thx.44.10.812

Chickenpox pneumonia: an association with pregnancy.

T F Esmonde 1, G Herdman 1, G Anderson 1
PMCID: PMC1020848  PMID: 2688179

Abstract

Three pregnant patients with chickenpox pneumonia are described. A review of reports published since 1965 together with these cases shows that 28 of the 46 women (61%) were pregnant, and 21 were in the last trimester. Although the disease is more common and more severe in pregnancy, the proportion of deaths was no greater than usual. In this retrospective analysis there was no evidence that treatment with acyclovir conferred benefit but this may have reflected its use only in very ill patients.

Full text

PDF
812

Images in this article

812Image
on p.812

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aizawa H., Ohsaki Y., Sakai E., Ikeda Y., Kuwajima T., Onodera S. [Two cases of primary varicella pneumonia]. Nihon Kyobu Shikkan Gakkai Zasshi. 1986 Feb;24(2):195–199. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Boyd K., Walker E. Use of acyclovir to treat chickenpox in pregnancy. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1988 Feb 6;296(6619):393–394. doi: 10.1136/bmj.296.6619.393-a. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bryer A., Potgieter P. D., Moodie J. Acyclovir and varicella pneumonia. S Afr Med J. 1984 Oct 6;66(14):515–515. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. CARSTAIRS L. S., EMOND R. T. Chickenpox virus pneumonia. Proc R Soc Med. 1963 Apr;56:267–270. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chitkara R., Gordon R. E., Khan F. A. Acyclovir in the treatment of primary varicella pneumonia in non-immunocompromised adults. N Y State J Med. 1987 Apr;87(4):237–238. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Davidson R. N., Lynn W., Savage P., Wansbrough-Jones M. H. Chickenpox pneumonia: experience with antiviral treatment. Thorax. 1988 Aug;43(8):627–630. doi: 10.1136/thx.43.8.627. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Duong C. M., Munns R. E. Varicella pneumonia during pregnancy. J Fam Pract. 1979 Feb;8(2):277–280. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. EICKHOFF T. C., SHERMAN I. L., SERFLING R. E. Observations on excess mortality associated with epidemic influenza. JAMA. 1961 Jun 3;176:776–782. doi: 10.1001/jama.1961.03040220024005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Eder S. E., Apuzzio J. J., Weiss G. Varicella pneumonia during pregnancy. Treatment of two cases with acyclovir. Am J Perinatol. 1988 Jan;5(1):16–18. doi: 10.1055/s-2007-999644. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Ellis M. E., Neal K. R., Webb A. K. Is smoking a risk factor for pneumonia in adults with chickenpox? Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1987 Apr 18;294(6578):1002–1002. doi: 10.1136/bmj.294.6578.1002. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Enders G. Varicella-zoster virus infection in pregnancy. Prog Med Virol. 1984;29:166–196. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. HARRIS R. E., RHOADES E. R. VARICELLA PNEUMONIA COMPLICATING PREGNANCY. REPORT OF A CASE AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE. Obstet Gynecol. 1965 May;25:734–740. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hammershøy O. Primaer varicelpneumoni. Ugeskr Laeger. 1979 Jul 2;141(27):1855–1855. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hankins G. D., Gilstrap L. C., 3rd, Patterson A. R. Acyclovir treatment of varicella pneumonia in pregnancy. Crit Care Med. 1987 Apr;15(4):336–337. doi: 10.1097/00003246-198704000-00016. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Harper J. R., Marshall R. D., Parkinson M. S. Intermittent positive-pressure ventilation in chicken-pox pneumonitis. Br Med J. 1969 Sep 13;3(5671):637–638. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5671.637. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Knyvett A. F. The pulmonary lesions of chickenpox. Q J Med. 1966 Jul;35(139):313–323. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Kumar M. L., Prokay S. L. Experimental primary cytomegalovirus infection in pregnancy: timing and fetal outcome. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1983 Jan 1;145(1):56–60. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(83)90339-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Küster W., Hofner W., Wicke L., Kühböck J. Varicellenpneumonie bei Morbus Hodgkin. Radiologe. 1978 Oct;18(10):398–400. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Landsberger E. J., Hager W. D., Grossman J. H., 3rd Successful management of varicella pneumonia complicating pregnancy. A report of three cases. J Reprod Med. 1986 May;31(5):311–314. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Leen C. L., Mandal B. K., Ellis M. E., Brettle R. P. Acyclovir and pregnancy. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1987 Jan 31;294(6567):308–308. doi: 10.1136/bmj.294.6567.308-a. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Lowthian J. T., Gillard L. J., Jr Varicella pneumonia in the gravid patient. J La State Med Soc. 1980 May;132(5):69–70. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Macfarlane J. T., Smith F. D., Finch R. G. Vidarabine in fulminating chickenpox pneumonia. Thorax. 1982 Mar;37(3):226–227. doi: 10.1136/thx.37.3.226. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Myint S. S., Lee S. K. Chickenpox pneumonia. A case report. Singapore Med J. 1986 Feb;27(1):80–83. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Münnich D. Nagy kiterjedésü kétoldali tüdögyulladással járó felnöttkori varicella progressiva esetünk sikeres intravénás Zovirax/acyclovir/kezelése. Orv Hetil. 1985 Jul 7;126(27):1663–1665. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Paryani S. G., Arvin A. M. Intrauterine infection with varicella-zoster virus after maternal varicella. N Engl J Med. 1986 Jun 12;314(24):1542–1546. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198606123142403. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Pillans P. Chickenpox pneumonia. A case report. S Afr Med J. 1983 May 28;63(22):861–862. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Price M. E., Fisher-Hoch S. P., Craven R. B., McCormick J. B. A prospective study of maternal and fetal outcome in acute Lassa fever infection during pregnancy. BMJ. 1988 Sep 3;297(6648):584–587. doi: 10.1136/bmj.297.6648.584. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Raidt H., Gottschalk D., Krummenerl T., Friemann J., Stahl K., Schütte G., Schmitz-Hübner U., Westerhoff H. Acyclovir bei schwerer Varizellapneumonie und bei Herpes ophthalmicus. Schweiz Rundsch Med Prax. 1983 Sep 13;72(37):1179–1182. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Schlossberg D., Littman M. Varicella pneumonia. Arch Intern Med. 1988 Jul;148(7):1630–1632. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Selleger C. Pneumonie varicelleuse mortelle chez l'adulte. Rapport de deux cas et revue de la littérature. Rev Fr Mal Respir. 1979 Jan-Feb;7(1):9–18. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Tatti V. La pneumonie à varicelle chez l'adulte. A propos d'une observation. Rev Med Suisse Romande. 1975 Apr;95(4):263–267. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Teare E. L., Cohen J. A. Treatment of chickenpox pneumonia with adenine arabinoside. Lancet. 1979 Apr 21;1(8121):873–873. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(79)91284-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Triebwasser J. H., Harris R. E., Bryant R. E., Rhoades E. R. Varicella pneumonia in adults. Report of seven cases and a review of literature. Medicine (Baltimore) 1967 Sep;46(5):409–423. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Williams M. T., Marsland D. W. Varicella pneumonia at parturition; a non-fatal case report. J Fam Pract. 1976 Apr;3(2):153–154. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Winkelmann R. K., DeRemee R. A., Ritts R. E., Jr Treatment of varicella-zoster pneumonia with transfer factor. Cutis. 1984 Sep;34(3):278–281. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Wolters J., Maesen F., Lamers J. Varicellapneumonie. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 1979 Oct 13;123(41):1777–1782. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. van der Meer J. W., Thompson J., Tan W. D., Versteeg J. Treatment of chickenpox pneumonia with acyclovir. Lancet. 1980 Aug 30;2(8192):473–474. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(80)91904-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES