Epithelial changes in early primary herpes simplex virus keratitis. Photomicrographic observations in a case of human...

To report the morphology of early corneal epithelial changes in primary herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV 1), and to compare it to that of recurrent HSV 1 and adenovirus keratitis.

A 23-year-old man examined with the slit lamp and photographed by non-contact in vivo photomicrography.

3 days after onset the cornea showed myriads of clear epithelial vesicles, two rounded limbal epithelial foci, and scattered, faintly discernible incipient ones. On day 5 several partly confluent foci, and on day 6 typical HSV dendrites were present. HSV 1 was isolated. Serological tests confirmed primary disease.

The early stage of primary HSV epithelial keratitis differed from recurrent disease by the presence of large numbers of clear vesicles. The photographs, however, captured similar early changes as in recurrent disease, and the subsequent development followed the same pattern. The main sign differentiating primary HSV from adenovirus infections was the early presence of epithelial foci with ulcerative features.