Orofacial herpes simplex virus infections are usually caused by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), and HSV-2 infections have been accepted as a sexually transmitted disease. HSV establishes a latent infection in the dorsal root ganglia of the host and remains there for the rest of life. HSV affects mainly skin and genitalia, although in immunocompromised patients it may cause local infection with vast skin involvement, chronic herpetic ulcers, or widespread mucous membrane damage, as well as systemic infections localized in the central and peripheral nervous systems, gastrointestinal tract, and ocular system. Usually, HSV infections are in the domain of dermatology, but the accumulating facts for localization of the disease in many systems of the human body give us the possibility to pose the question: Is herpes simplex a systemic disease?
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