Congenital neonatal herpes simplex virus infection.

Intrauterine-acquired neonatal herpes simplex virus infection is a severe, often life-threatening infection that has a wide spectrum of clinical presentations. We describe a 31-week-gestation male who had a rarely reported epidermolysis bullosa-like clinical presentation. He acquired herpes simplex virus type II in utero secondary to a primary maternal infection that occurred on the knee. A review of the infection, the need for early therapy, and the prognosis are presented.