Herpes simplex vegetans presenting as an eyelid mass.

ABSTRACT

A 16-year-old girl with congenital T-cell immunodeficiency presented with a 2-month history of an enlarging lower eyelid mass. After complete excision of the mass, the lesion was noted to recur. Histologic and immunohistochemical analysis of the excised mass revealed infection with herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 with exuberant inflammatory reaction and granulation tissue consistent with the diagnosis of herpes simplex vegetans. Treatment with valacyclovir resulted in complete resolution of the remaining lesions. Herpes simplex vegetans should be included in the clinical and histopathologic differential for rapidly growing cutaneous masses in patients with immunodeficiency.