This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Correction  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (5)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Harvey Blank, MD

Arch Dermatol. 1979;115(12):1440-1441.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

Herpetism, an abnormal constitutional condition predisposing to herpes (Webster's New International Dictionary, ed 2, Springfield, Mass, G & C Merriam Co, 1923, p 1010; French: herpétisme), as manifest by recurrent lesions, is an increasingly common and distressing problem. It results from an infection with either the orofacial (type 1) or the genital (type 2) herpes simplex virus. After primary infection of skin or mucosa the virus makes its way to the nuclei of the cells of the regional nerve ganglia. Incorporation of the viral DNA into the host DNA¹ provides an impregnable intracellular site for a lifelong infection beyond the reach of antibody, cell-mediated immune responses, or chemotherapy. As a result of cell mechanisms not yet understood but often triggered by fever, sunburn, emotions, or unknown factors, the latent infection becomes manifest as a recurrent endogenous infection in the cutaneous, ocular, or genital epithelium. Exogenous reinfection is also possible, . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Dermatology, University of Miami.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication May 25, 1979.

Reprint requests to Department of Dermatology, University of Miami School of Medicine, PO Box 520875, Miami, FL 33152 (Dr Blank).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?