Monkeypox: A Histopathological and Transmission Electron Microscopy Study

The research analyzed skin biopsies from six patients with confirmed human monkeypox virus infection. The study found common histopathological features such as ballooning keratinocytes, Guarnieri bodies, a ground glass appearance of the keratinocytes' nuclei, and multinucleated keratinocytes. Epidermal necrosis and a moderate perivascular and periadnexal inflammatory cell infiltrate, primarily composed of neutrophils, were also observed. Transmission electron microscopy revealed viral particles in the cytoplasm of keratinocytes in five out of six patients, and for the first time, viral particles were found in infected mesenchymal cells. The study emphasizes the importance of including monkeypox virus in the diagnostic repertoire of dermatopathology, but calls for more research to understand the disease's current and potential future trends.