The immunoperoxidase method for the rapid diagnosis of intraoral herpes simplex virus infection in patients receiving bone marrow transplants.

Bone marrow transplant patients (N = 12) with oral lesions consistent with herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection were studied to compare the sensitivity of two rapid cytodiagnostic methods with viral cultures. Routine viral cultures and exfoliative cytology smears were prepared for microscopic evaluation using the Papanicolaou method and an immunoperoxidase staining technique for detection of HSV type 1. Patients with a positive viral culture (N = 10) showed positive staining for HSV, using the immunoperoxidase technique. Multinucleated giant epithelial cells were observed in only seven of the ten positive specimens, using the Papanicolaou method. The results from this preliminary study suggest that the immunoperoxidase method may provide the dentist with a reliable and rapid approach for the diagnosis of intraoral HSV.