Rose Bengal Dye Staining of HSV Lesions

Fig. 1.13  a–c Lower part of a large HSV lesion. Arrows indicate corresponding locations. (a) Before staining, the lesion shows many closely packed swollen/rounded cells (arrowhead). (b) With fluorescein sodium, the lesion stains green. Diseased/ damaged surface cells stained with rose bengal appear as dark red-bluish dots (arrowhead). In places, the staining is confluent. (c) Some swollen/rounded cells stain red with rose bengal (black arrowhead); others do not (white arrowhead)

Fig. 1.14  Part of an HSV lesion showing many swollen/rounded cells. Some stain with rose bengal (black arrowheads); others do not (white arrowheads)

Fig. 1.15  In this erosive (dendrogeographic) HSV lesion, the cell-denuded bottom (arrow) stains red with rose bengal. Some swollen/rounded cells also stain red with the dye (arrowheads). (Adapted from [7])

Comment

Which of the swollen/rounded cells are virus infected and which represent an unspecific phenomenon cannot be decided (additional features of this lesion are shown in Chap. 3, Case 1)

Fig. 1.16  In this cornea, the epithelium was edematous over the whole surface. In one location, an epithelial lesion was suspected but difficult to discern. The whole epithelium stained rapidly with fluorescein sodium. Rose bengal dye revealed a lesion (arrow) suggestive of an HSV infection