Primary Herpes Simplex Virus Infection of the Nipple in a Breastfeeding Woman
Practice Points
- Herpes mastitis should be included in the differential diagnosis for breast pain during lactation.
- Children of breastfeeding women diagnosed with herpes mastitis require immediate evaluation for a possible source of the infection, as complications of herpes viral infection in infants can be severe and life threatening.
Herpes simplex virus infection primarily is transmitted through direct mucocutaneous contact with either oral or genital lesions of an infected individual. Transmission of HSV from infant to mother rarely is described. A PubMed search of articles indexed for MEDLINE using the terms herpes mastitis, herpes of the breast, infant to maternal transmission, gingivostomatitis, primary herpes, and breastfeeding yielded 4 reported cases of HSV of the nipple in breastfeeding women from children with herpetic gingivostomatitis.1-4
Herpes simplex virus infection is common in neonatal and pediatric populations. In the United States, more than 30% of children (aged <14 years) have evidence of HSV-1 infection on serology. Herpes simplex virus infections in children can range from uncomplicated mucocutaneous diseases to severe life-threatening infections involving the central nervous system. In children, antivirals should be initiated within 72 hours of symptom onset to prevent more serious complications. Diagnostic testing was not performed on the infants in this case because the 72-hour treatment window had passed. In particular, neonates (aged <3 months) will require intravenous antivirals to prevent the development of central nervous system disease, which occurs in 33% of neonatal HSV infections.5 It is critically important to confirm the diagnosis of HSV in a breastfeeding woman, when clinically indicated, with a viral culture, serology, direct immunofluorescence assay, polymerase chain reaction, or Tzanck smear because other conditions such as plugged lactiferous ducts, candidal mastitis, or bacterial mastitis may mimic HSV. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of the breastfeeding woman with HSV of the nipple can help identify children with herpetic gingivostomatitis that is not readily apparent.
