[Cutaneous herpesvirus infections and malignant blood disorders. Epidemiology]

One hundred and ten skin infections with herpes virus were seen in a uniform group of 1,002 lymphoma-leukaemias dominated by non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (385) and Hodgkin's Disease (327). They appeared with a significantly increased frequency in the course of Hodgkin's Disease, and between the ages of 60 and 69 for the other groups. In the Hodgkin's cases they appeared characteristically during complete remission and in the others during the active phase of their disease. Only exceptionally was there evidence of contact infection. Also these infections seemed mainly due to the re-awakening of a latent virus infection as against a failure of natural defense mechanisms of the organism, which the disease itself and the therapeutic regime might alter in a variable fashion.