The accompanying photomicrograph depicts an endoscopic biopsy of the oesophagus from a patient undergoing chemotherapy for gastric cancer.From the microscopic appearance of the syncytial cells (denoted with an "S"),which one of the following viruses is directly involved in this infection of the oesophagus?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

HIV may have caused immune suppression (although this is more likely to be due to chemotherapy in the present case),however,the lesion seen in the photomicrograph has been directly caused by Herpes simplex virus.The viral inclusions (syncytia formation,eosinophilic viral inclusion bodies)are specific enough to suggest this diagnosis.It is important to make this distinction histopathologically,because specific treatment for HSV is available (acyclovir,and its variants).

The Accompanying Photomicrograph Depicts an Endoscopic Biopsy of the Oesophagus