Multinucleated giant cells caused by herpes simplex and herpes zoster viruses
Dermatology Infections: Viral--Etiology




Multinucleated giant cells caused by herpes simplex and herpes zoster viruses

John L. Bezzant,M.D.

Herpes simplex and herpes zoster viruses cause abnormal cell division in epidermal cells, and this creates multinucleated giant cells. These are epidermal cells that are much larger than the normal epidermal cells, and they contain multiple nuclei. The cell in the center of the field illustrates this.