Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Recurrent erythema multiforme.

J C Huff1, W L Weston

  • 1Department of Dermatology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver 80262.

Medicine
|May 1, 1989
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Recurrent erythema multiforme (EM) is strongly linked to herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections. This study found compelling evidence of HSV in patients with repeated EM episodes, particularly in skin biopsies.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Allergic contact dermatitis in children: a practical approach to management.

Skin therapy letter·2003
Same author

Tumors arising in nevus sebaceus.

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology·2001
Same author

What syndrome is this? Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Pediatric dermatology·2001
Same author

Kwashiorkor in the United States: fad diets, perceived and true milk allergy, and nutritional ignorance.

Archives of dermatology·2001
Same author

Unsuspected sporotrichosis in childhood.

The Pediatric infectious disease journal·2001
Same author

Beyond poison ivy: understanding allergic contact dermatitis in children.

Pediatric annals·2001
Same journal

A meta-analysis of the effects of Baduanjin training on the human body temperature based on infrared thermography technology.

Medicine·2026
Same journal

The predictive ability of "TyG_CVAI" for incident stroke in individuals with different glycemic metabolic status: A national cohort study.

Medicine·2026
Same journal

Symptoms and quality of life in gynecological cancer patients after surgery: Application of latent profile and network analysis.

Medicine·2026
Same journal

Massive hemoptysis as the initial presentation of Behçet disease complicated by multisite thromboembolism: A case report.

Medicine·2026
Same journal

Dextromethorphan-bupropion-associated pharmacovigilance signals based on the FAERS database: An observational study.

Medicine·2026
Same journal

Effects of Mulligan sustained natural apophyseal glide mobilizations on pain, mobility, and lumbar-related disability in chronic non-specific low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Medicine·2026
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Dermatology
  • Virology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Erythema multiforme (EM) is an acute, self-limiting condition often associated with infections.
  • Recurrent EM (rEM) presents unique challenges in diagnosis and management.
  • The specific triggers and pathogenesis of rEM remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between herpes simplex virus (HSV) and recurrent erythema multiforme (rEM).
  • To characterize clinical features and lesion patterns in patients with rEM.
  • To explore diagnostic markers for HSV in rEM.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective clinical study of 22 patients with recurrent EM.
  • Clinical evaluation including lesion count, location, and history of preceding infections.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Serological testing for HSV antibodies (enzyme immunoassay).
  • Viral cultures for HSV from throat and EM lesions.
  • Indirect immunofluorescence staining of EM skin biopsies for HSV glycoprotein gB.

    • Main Results:

    • All 22 rEM patients had a history of preceding HSV infections.
    • HSV antibodies were detected in all study subjects.
    • No HSV was isolated from throat or EM lesions during active episodes.
    • Positive HSV viral cultures were obtained from suspected recurrent herpes lesions in 11 patients.
    • EM skin biopsies showed positive staining for HSV glycoprotein gB in keratinocytes.
    • The isomorphic phenomenon was observed in 19/22 patients, photodistribution in 15/22.

    Conclusions:

    • There is compelling evidence for a strong association between herpes simplex virus and recurrent erythema multiforme.
    • Recurrent EM pathogenesis likely involves HSV reactivation, although direct viral detection in EM lesions can be challenging.
    • Clinical features like the isomorphic phenomenon and photodistribution are common in rEM.
    • HSV glycoprotein gB detection in keratinocytes suggests direct viral involvement in EM lesions.