Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39182131›Full record

ArticleJournal of medical case reports2024

Atypical presentation of herpes simplex virus 2 primary infection: a case report.

Camille Herbin, Pascale Jadoul, Edouard Hosten, Amandine Gerday, Mathieu Luyckx, Jean-Luc Squifflet, Vasiliki Perlepe, Charlotte Maillard

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of medical case reports, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Atypical Genital Herpes Presenting as Chronic Severe Vulvitis: A Case Report.Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Camille HerbinDepartment of Gynaecology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Av. Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium. camille.herbin@student.uclouvain.be.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-6713-527X
Pascale JadoulDepartment of Gynaecology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Av. Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.
Edouard HostenEmergency Medicine Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Charleroi, Charleroi, Belgium.
Amandine GerdayDepartment of Gynaecology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Av. Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.
Mathieu LuyckxDepartment of Gynaecology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Av. Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.
Jean-Luc SquiffletDepartment of Gynaecology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Av. Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.
Vasiliki PerlepeDepartment of Radiology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium.
Charlotte MaillardDepartment of Gynaecology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Av. Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCervicitis, an infectious or noninfectious inflammation of the cervix, encompasses a wide range of clinical conditions, from asymptomatic infections to severe lesions, making its diagnosis difficult. Acute cervicitis may develop into pelvic inflammatory disease. In patients with cervicitis, current guidelines recommend testing for herpes simplex virus when external genital lesions are present. Here, we present the case of a patient with an atypical primary herpes simplex virus 2 infection manifesting as cervicitis without genital lesions. CASE PRESENTATION: A 29-year-old Caucasian woman was hospitalized for pelvic inflammatory disease. The patient complained of severe suprapubic pain, fever, and heavy vaginal discharge. The external genitalia were unremarkable, so empirical antibiotic treatment was initiated. Despite 48 hours of well-administered antibiotic therapy, her complaints persisted. Polymerase chain reaction for possible microbial causes was negative for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. There was no bacterial vaginosis. Repeat gynecological examinations with endovaginal ultrasound revealed an enlarged cervix, and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging supported a diagnosis of cervicitis. At this point, additional screening for other sexually transmitted infections and infectious disease-related etiologies of cervicitis was performed, and the polymerase chain reaction analysis of newly isolated samples was positive for herpes simplex virus 2. No antiviral treatment was initiated given the delay in diagnosing herpes simplex virus 2 infection and the slow but spontaneous abatement of symptoms.

conclusionHerpes simplex virus infection should be considered as a possible cause of cervicitis, even in the absence of typical genital lesions. Early detection of herpes simplex virus allows early treatment, helping to reduce the duration and severity of symptoms and therefore potentially reducing recurrences and improving disease control. These data and data from future cases might spur changes in the guidelines on cervicitis testing and treatment.

Indexed as

Herpes GenitalisHerpesvirus 2, HumanUterine CervicitisAdultAnti-Bacterial AgentsFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingPolymerase Chain ReactionAnti-Bacterial AgentsAntiviralCase reportCervicitisGenital lesionsHerpes simplex virus

Identifiers

PMID39182131
PMCPMC11344974

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.