Fatal outcome of varicella in children.

Varicella or chicken-pox are one of the most frequent diseases in childhood. Severe or even lethal complications are rare (in about 0.03 per thousand ). Our paper presents two cases of varicella infections leading to sudden deaths (3- and 7-year-old children). In one of these cases, the paediatrician in charge was accused of an impaired medical treatment. Both of the children showed multiple typical efflorescences in different stages. Furthermore were observed affections of the respiratory tracts and serious involvements of the hearts, the lungs, and the livers. In one case an immunological identification could be made of an acute varicella infection. Based on autoptical, histological, bacteriological, virological, and neuropathological findings is given an analysis of such uncommon and severe courses of chicken-pox in children being identified as haemorrhagic form and massive abscess-forming varicella pneumonia.