Disseminated herpes is rare in the adult and usually occurs in the immunocompromised.
Most of these patients had nonspecific symptoms, and many did not have mucocutaneous lesions. On physical examination, they were usually febrile and anicteric and had markedly elevated aminotransferase values, without a corresponding elevation in bilirubin level. We report a case of maternal disseminated HSV with subsequent maternal death at an estimated 31 weeks' gestation in which the diagnosis was made at the time of necropsy. All patients were in their 22nd to 38th week of gestation, except 1 patient who became ill immediately post partum. We describe a case of disseminated herpes during the third trimester of pregnancy in which the woman and infant subsequently died.