title: Ocular histopathologic findings in a case of human herpes B virus infection.
abstract: A 37-year-old male laboratory technician who sustained a cutaneous penetrating wound from a rhesus monkey developed a progressive ascending encephalomyelitis due to culture-proven herpes B virus (Herpesvirus simiae) infection. He died 6 weeks after his injury despite acyclovir and ganciclovir treatment that was initiated after central nervous system symptoms developed. Histopathological examination of the patient's left eye revealed a multifocal necrotizing retinitis associated with a vitritis, optic neuritis, and prominent panuveitis. Herpes-type virus was identified in the involved retina by electron microscopy. Postmortem vitreous cultures taken from both eyes and retinal cultures taken from the right eye were positive for herpes B virus. Herpes B virus produces infection and destruction of retinal tissues similar to other herpesviruses. To our knowledge, this case represents the first histopathologic demonstration of herpes B virus infection in a human eye.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami, FL 33101.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nanda
authors.forename: V T
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Curtin
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Hilliard
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Dix
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D004679:Encephalomyelitis / Q000382:microbiology; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000473:pathology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology*; D006568:Herpesvirus 1, Cercopithecine / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000473:pathology; D015864:Panuveitis / Q000473:pathology; D012173:Retinitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000150:complications