Benign recurrent lymphocytic meningitis from herpes simplex virus type 2 during a summer outbreak of aseptic meningitis.

Meningitis from herpes simplex virus (HSV) may have a clinical presentation similar to other forms of viral meningitis. However, subtle facets of the history and use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can differentiate HSV from other etiologies. During an outbreak of meningitis from enterovirus, a 32-year-old woman presented to the hospital with clinical meningitis, a history of genital HSV infection, and two previous bouts of viral meningitis. Her signs and symptoms as well as lumbar puncture results were similar to patients meeting our case definition for patients with presumed enteroviral meningitis. The cerebral spinal fluid was positive for HSV by PCR, and she was ultimately diagnosed with recurrent meningitis from HSV. We compared her presentation with patients who met our case definition for enteroviral meningitis. A thorough history and use of PCR may assist in differentiating these clinically similar presentations.