Frequency and reactivation of nongenital lesions among patients with genital herpes simplex virus

Objective To determine the frequency, recurrence patterns, and host factors associated with nongenital herpes simplex virus lesions. Patents and methods In this cohort study at a referral clinic, 457 patients with first episodes of genital herpes were prospectively observed to evaluate the anatomic sites of herpetic lesions at the first and subsequent visits. Of these patients, 73 had primary genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1, 326 had primary first episode genital HSV-2, and 58 had HSV-1 infection prior to acquisition of genital HSV-2. The median follow-up was 63 weeks. Results Nongenital lesions at the time of acquisition of genital herpes were observed in 25%, 9%, and 2% of patients with primary HSV-1, primary HSV-2, and nonprimary HSV-2, respectively. Half of the patients with concurrent genital and non-genital lesions subsequently had recurrences at a nongenital site. Twenty patients (6.5%) whose primary genital HSV-2 infection involved only the genitalia subsequently developed nongenital recurrences, primarily on the buttocks (12) and legs (4). Nongenital recurrences, especially buttock recurrences, tended to be less frequent but of longer duration than genital recurrences. Conclusions Overall, 21% of patients with primary genital herpes will have or will subsequently develop a nongenital recurrence. Among patients with HSV-1, nongenital lesions tended to occur more often on the hand and face, whereas HSV-2 lesions appeared more often on the buttocks. Buttock lesions due to HSV recur less frequently but last longer than genital lesions.