Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo (Jan 1998)

PCR-BASED DIAGNOSIS OF A CASE OF HERPETIC WHITLOW IN AN AIDS PATIENT

  • NOGUEIRA Maurício L.,
  • OLIVEIRA Adriana F.,
  • ARAUJO Janaína G.,
  • GALLO Márcio A.,
  • FONSECA João G. M.,
  • BONJARDIM Claudio A.,
  • FERREIRA Paulo C.P.,
  • KROON Erna G.

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 40, no. 5

Abstract

Read online

Herpetic infections are common complications in AIDS patients. The clinical features could be uncommon and antiviral chemotherapy is imperative. A rapid diagnosis could prevent incorrect approaches and treatment. The polymerase chain reaction is a rapid, specific and sensible method for DNA amplification and diagnosis of infectious diseases, especially viral diseases. This approach has some advantages compared with conventional diagnostic procedures. Recently we have reported a new PCR protocol to rapid diagnosis of herpetic infections with suppression of the DNA extraction step. In this paper we present a case of herpetic whitlow with rapid diagnosis by HSV-1 specific polymerase chain reaction using the referred protocol.

Keywords