title: Lack of herpes virus DNA in choroidal tissues of a patient with serpiginous choroiditis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of herpes viruses in the etiology of serpiginous choroiditis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interventional case report.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 59-year-old male patient with long-term history of serpiginous choroiditis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patient's affected eye was obtained during autopsy. Polymerase chain reaction was performed in the microdissected choroidal tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histopathologic examination demonstrated active inflammation with lymphocytic infiltration of the choroid. No viral DNA was amplified using pairs of herpes simplex virus (HSV) P1/P2 (for HSV-1, HSV-2, Epstein-Barr virus [EBV], cytomegalovirus [CMV] and human herpes virus [HHV]-8), and varicella-zoster virus [VZV] P1/P2 (for VZV, HHV-6, HHV-7) in the infiltrating lymphocytes or choroidal tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current observation suggests a lack of a role for herpetic viral etiology in the etiopathogenesis of serpiginous choroiditis.
authors.affiliation: The Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287-9238, USA. esakpek@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Esen Karamursel
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Akpek
authors.forename: Chi-Chao
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: DeFen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: W Richard
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D002829:Choroid / Q000821:virology*; D002833:Choroiditis / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000821:virology*; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral