BRUSH CYTOLOGY OF HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS-INFECTION IN ORAL-MUCOSA - USEOF THE THINPREP(R) PROCESSOR

Evaluation was made of oral scraping specimen using Cytobrush from II patients with clinical suspicious lesions for herpes simplex virus (HS V) infection. In this study, oral brush cytology prepared using an aut omated smear apparatus (ThinPrep(R) method) has been applied. The smea rs prepared by ThinPrep(R) are equally well suited for screening purpo ses, producing highly cellular specimens with well-preserved cytoplasm and nuclei. The results obtained on the II patients, four cytologic s pecimens, showed pathognomonic viral cellular changes of HSV infection . Viral isolation studies were performed on 10 of the 11 patients and ten specimens tested positive for HSV by culture. Of the ten HSV posit ive isolates, six were positive by either cytology or immunocytochemic al staining. Of the two smears showing HSV positive cells, both smears were also confirmed by in situ hybridization (ISH) with a biotinylate d clone DNA probe. Using the ICC technique, detection of Hsv antigen i n oral scraping smears was of great value in the diagnosis of of oral HSV infection, especially in cases of equivocal lesions. Oral cytology by means of ThinPrep(R) method obviously deserves additional trials a s an adjunct in the cytology of HSV-suspected lesions. (C) 1998 Wiley- Liss, Inc.