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. DESIGN: Interventional case report. PARTICIPANT: A 59-year-old male patient with long-term history of serpiginous choroiditis. INTERVENTION: 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.

Duke Scholars

Author Esen Karamursel Akpek Ophthalmology, Vitreoretinal Diseases & Surgery