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Delayed onset of varicella keratitis
D de Freitas1, E H Sato, L D Kelly
1Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Cornea
|September 1, 1992
Summary
Varicella (chickenpox) can rarely cause delayed eye complications like disciform edema and microdendritic keratitis. This case suggests a distinct category of varicella-related corneal issues.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Infectious Diseases
- Virology
Background:
- Varicella (chickenpox) is a common viral illness, but severe complications, particularly ocular, are infrequent.
- Ocular manifestations of varicella zoster virus (VZV) are typically associated with the acute phase or reactivation (shingles).
Observation:
- A patient presented with disciform edema and subsequently developed microdendritic keratitis.
- These ocular conditions emerged one and two months, respectively, after the resolution of the acute varicella infection.
- Diagnostic cultures were negative; however, serological tests confirmed VZV antibodies and ruled out herpes simplex virus (HSV).
Findings:
- The patient's delayed keratitis, confirmed by serology, suggests a VZV etiology.
- The clinical presentation and timing indicate a unique pattern of varicella-induced corneal disease.
- This differs from typical VZV ocular complications, such as herpes zoster ophthalmicus.
Implications:
- This case highlights a potentially underrecognized delayed corneal complication of varicella.
- It suggests that VZV can cause distinct forms of keratitis beyond acute or reactivated disease.
- Further research is warranted to understand the pathogenesis and incidence of these delayed varicella corneal complications.