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Occult genital herpes presenting as an endometrial infection detected at delivery: a report of two cases
Author(s) -
Aghazarian Saro,
Nikkels Arjen,
Grodos Jacques,
Billet Paul,
Thiry Albert,
Piérard Gérald,
Boniver Jacques,
Delvenne Philippe
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of the european academy of dermatology and venereology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.655
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1468-3083
pISSN - 0926-9959
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-3083.1997.tb00519.x
Subject(s) - medicine , asymptomatic , herpes simplex virus , immunohistochemistry , occult , pathology , sex organ , virus , immunology , biology , alternative medicine , genetics
Background The prevalence and clinical implications of asymptomatic genital herpes remain elusive. Objective/aim We report two cases of clinically asymptomatic intracterine herpes simplex virus II (HSV‐II) infection in order in discuss their pathological significance and demonstrate the potential utility of specific DNA probes and antibodies. Methods Standard histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH) were applied in formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded tissue sections of curettage specimens from women presenting decidualised fragments retention after normal delivery. Results Histological analysis revealed a focal clearing of endometrial epithelial cell nuclei, suggesting a viral etiology. ISH and IMC with different DNA probes or antibodies confirmed the diagnosis of HSV‐II infection at the lime of specimen collection. Clinical signs of muco‐cutancous involvement in the mothers and of neonatal HSV infection were not observed. Conclusion These findings suggest that intrauterine HSV‐II infection is not always associated with disease. The IHC and ISH methods can be helpful lo assess the diagnosis of HSV‐Il intrauterine infections in the presence of optically clear endometrial nuclei. Whether or not such HSV‐II occult infection may he associated with viral shedding and risk of sexual transmission was not evaluated in the present study.