Herpes simplex type 1 retinitis in an adult with systemic herpes zoster.

A 72-year-old man developed bullous skin lesions two months before he was discovered to have malignant lymphoma. Herpes zoster virus grew from the skin bullae. He developed encephalitis, keratitis in the left eye, and bilateral retinitis 18 months later. Herpes simplex virus type 1 grew from cultures of the eyelid vesicles and corneal scrapings from the left eye. The patient died two years after the diagnosis of malignant lymphoma. Virus particles believed to be herpes simplex virus were demonstrated on electron microscopy in the necrotic retinal cells.