Lack of herpes virus DNA in choroidal tissues of a patient with serpiginous choroiditis.
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.
Akpek
Esen Karamursel
EK
The Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287-9238, USA. esakpek@jhmi.edu
Chan
Chi-Chao
CC
Shen
DeFen
D
Green
W Richard
WR
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
D004279:DNA, Viral