Microtubuloreticular Structures in the Cerebral Vasculature of a Patient with Herpes Simplex Encephalitis

Abstract

The authors would like to thank Sharon Branvold for excellent technical assistance and Kim Olson for assistance in the preparation of the manuscript. This work was supported by the Medical Education and Research Foundation, St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center.

The term “microtubuloreticular” structures was suggested by Ghadially1 as a more accurate way of describing these organelles. They have also been commonly referred to as tubuloreticular inclusions (TRI).²

In this report we will document the presence of microtubuloreticular structures (MTRS) in the cerebral vasculature of a patient who had contracted herpes simplex (HSV) encephalitis. Twenty of twenty-one blood vessels (capillaries, arterioles, venules) contained MTRS within the cytoplasm of endothelial and/or associated cells. The use of this evidence to support a diagnosis of HSV encephalitis is discussed.

Key Words:

• microtubuloreticular structures
• herpes simplex encephalitis
• transmission electron microscopy