[Serous meningitis associated with primary genital herpes infection].

Aseptic meningitis is not an uncommon complication to primary genital herpes infection caused by herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Compared with other types of viral meningitis, HSV-2-meningitis is associated with a significant rate of neurological complications in the acute stage. In addition, some patients will suffer from recurrent aseptic meningitis (Mollaret's meningitis) later. We describe six patients, five women and one man, age 26-35 years, with aseptic meningitis caused by HSV-2. All the patients showed serological evidence of primary herpes infection (negative HSV-IgG and/or positive HSV-IgM in serum samples). Polymerase chain reaction detected HSV-2 in cerebrospinal fluid in all five of five cases, while virus cultures were positive in two of the six cases. Only three patients showed clinical signs of simultaneous genital herpes infection. One patient, a 28-year-old female, developed transient autonomic nervous system dysfunction with urinary retention, constipation, and neuralgic pain in the buttocks, perineum and lower limbs. 13 months later she was hospitalised for a genital herpes infection with headache, parestesia and fever, but spinal fluid examination showed no abnormality.