Rapid diagnostic tests for cutaneous eruptions of herpes simplex

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Dermatology
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections commonly cause cutaneous eruptions.
• Accurate and timely diagnosis of HSV is crucial for patient management.
• Multiple diagnostic techniques exist, each with varying sensitivity and specificity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the diagnostic efficacy of virus isolation, indirect immunofluorescent staining (IF-test), and Tzanck smears.
• To evaluate the combined diagnostic yield of these methods for herpes simplex cutaneous eruptions.

Main Methods:

• Virus isolation was performed on samples from patients with suspected herpes simplex.
• Indirect immunofluorescent staining (IF-test) was used to detect HSV antigens.
• Tzanck smears were prepared and examined for characteristic cytopathic effects of HSV.

Main Results:

• Herpesvirus hominis was isolated from 21 out of 32 patients.
• IF-test was positive in 22 patients, and Tzanck smears were positive in 20 patients.
• Combining any two diagnostic methods identified 23-25 of 25 patients with positive test results, with no false positives observed for IF-test or Tzanck smears.

Conclusions:

• Virus isolation, IF-test, and Tzanck smears are valuable diagnostic tools for herpes simplex cutaneous eruptions.
• A combination of any two of these methods significantly enhances diagnostic accuracy.
• IF-test and Tzanck smears demonstrated high specificity with no false-positive reactions observed.