Parvovirus B19-associated hydrops fetalis: the first confirmed case in Hong Kong

PKS Chan, KF To, SK Yip, JSL Tam, AFB Cheng
Department of Microbiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong

We describe a case of asymptomatic human parvovirus B19 infection during pregnancy that led to hydrops fetalis and foetal death. The diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of parvovirus B19-specific IgM antibodies in the maternal serum and the pathognomonic findings, which showed intranuclear eosinophilic viral inclusions and margination of chromatin in foetal cells of haemopoietic lineage. Details of clinical, virological, and histological findings are presented. Difficulties in confirming the diagnosis of parvovirus B19 infection in Hong Kong are discussed.

Hong Kong Med J 1998;4:321-3

Key words: Fetal death/etiology; Hydrops fetalis/etiology; Parvoviridae/immunology; Parvovirus B19, human; Pregnancy complications, infections/microbiology