Typical and atypical lesions of herpes genitalis

143 women with suspected Herpes Genitalis (HG), recurrent or common drug resistant vaginitis, unexplained or threatened abortion were examined by colposcopy, Pap test, viral culture and HSV-specific antibodies titration. HG was detected in 34 cases: 16 resulted positive for virus isolation. For the patients with negative culture HG was diagnosed by means of clinical examination, anamnesis and therapeutic criteria ex juvantibus. Serology proved to give little information. Most of the patients showed typical HG manifestations, but 8 of them were affected by atypical lesions. The infection proved to be not necessarily related to specific factors of risk, and it was not always possible to individuate the source of contamination. Only 9 out of the 33 sexual partners of the patients had asymptomatic manifestations. Many problems concerning HG diagnosis, epidemiology and therapy remain to be solved. The authors think that an engagement at different levels (population, practitioners, gynaecologists, politicians) is needed to face this issue fairly.