Other diagnostic tests
May 2nd, 2008 | by admin |Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are very sensitive tests (meaning they are very good at detecting the virus if it is present). While PCR testing is likely to replace the viral culture in the future, PCR are not as readily available as culture at many sites and there are no commercially available kits at this time.
Several other types of herpes diagnostic tests exist but have serious limitations. Some, such as viral antigen tests, while accurate, are not readily available and their accuracy drops as the lesion heals; others, such as the Tzanck test, involve a “judgment call” on the part of the health care provider or lab technician reading them.
