Denouement and Discussion: Congenital Sucking Blisters
An otherwise healthy full-term female neonate was born with linear, bullous skin lesions involving both wrists. Some bullae were filled with clear fluid and others had apparently ruptured shortly before birth. No other skin abnormalities were detected.
Pregnancy had been uneventful and delivery was uncomplicated. The mother denied any history of syphilis, hereditary bullous disorders, or lupus erythematosus. Maternal examination revealed no evidence of herpes simplex lesions, and at prenatal screening at 36 weeks' gestation, no evidence of genital streptococcal carriage was noted.
The obstetrician in charge, a consulting dermatologist, and an infectious diseases specialist (R.A.) were unable to make an on-the-spot diagnosis. A wide range of potential infectious and noninfectious conditions were considered, including neonatal herpes simplex, varicella virus infection, bullous impetigo, and various congenital bullous diseases.
Before further tests were performed, the child started to suck vigorously at the involved areas, allowing a presumptive diagnosis of sucking blisters. . . . [Full Text of this Article]
BACKGROUND
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
CONCLUSIONS
AUTHOR INFORMATION
