CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL CORRELATIONS IN ACUTE RETINAL NECROSIS CAUSED BY HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS TYPE-2

The acute retinal necrosis syndrome is a rapidly progressive and poten tially devastating disease. A case of acute retinal necrosis developed in an immunocompetent man, presumably due to the stress, trauma, or i mmunomodulation related to a craniotomy for a parasellar craniopharyng ioma, Vitrectomy and endoretinal biopsy were. performed, Polymerase ch ain reaction studies of the vitreous revealed herpes simpler; virus ty pe 2 as the cause, which has not been previously well documented. Resu lts of cerebrospinal fluid antibody studies were also consistent with the diagnosis. Results oi cytology and histopathologic examination dem onstrated extensive retinal destruction and mononuclear cell infiltrat ion Sloughing of the inner retina was evidenced by the presence of ret inal vascular remnants in the vitreous cytology specimen. As is charac teristic of this disease, the visual outcome of this patient was poor.