Herpes genitalis; clinical and virological studies.

Abstract

Herpes simplex virus was isolated from 23 (38%) of 60 patients with herpes genitalis. A history of recurrent lesions was common, and uncircumcised patients were more frequently involved. Genital herpes was detected in only 2 females in this series. Viruses isolated from patients with herpes produced atypical large necrotic lesions when inoculated onto the chorio-allantoic membrane (CAM) of developing chick embryos. Viruses from extra-genital herpetic lesions, with one exception, produced classical small herpetic lesions on the CAM. No difference in cytopathic effect or virus morphology could be detected between genital and extra-genital strains.