Abstract

In August of 2022, the United States declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency, as reported cases rose well over 6,000 nationally. Research efforts since the 1960’s, alongside the eradication of smallpox, built the groundwork for our response to this new challenge, however, collective memory of orthopox viruses as a real diagnostic consideration waned somewhat with the public health successes of prior generations. A shared effort to catalogue anew the histomorphology of orthopox viruses for current practice is thus imperative considering the reemergence of this family and the shifting epidemiology of monkeypox. Herein, we present the case of a 44 year old man with an unusual clinical presentation of PCR-confirmed monkeypox and review the histopathologic features of the disease, which may be focal and subject to sampling error. We also discuss clinical factors and ancillary testing with relevance to the dermatopathologist.

Financial Disclosure:
No current or relevant financial relationships exist.