Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026
Ex Vivo Organotypic Corneal Model of Acute Epithelial Herpes Simplex Virus Type I Infection
Published on: November 3, 2012
Herpes simplex virus keratitis after laser in situ keratomileusis
Jaime Levy1, Ruth Lapid-Gortzak, Itamar Klemperer
1Ophthalmology Department, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. ljaime@bgu.ac.il
Purpose:
To report two cases of herpes simplex virus (HSV) keratitis after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK).
Methods:
Interventional small case series. Two patients underwent uneventful LASIK. History of herpes labialis in one patient and herpetic eye disease > 10 years prior to intervention in the other patient was reported. Both patients developed stromal herpetic keratitis 6 weeks and 2 years after the procedure, respectively.
Results:
Treatment consisting of topical steroid drops and topical and systemic antiviral therapy was administered. Recurrences of the herpetic keratitis were seen after tapering of the topical steroids; four and three recurrences were observed, respectively. Final visual acuity was > 6/9 in both cases.
Conclusions:
Herpetic keratitis after LASIK is an uncommon, possibly under-reported, entity. Even patients without history of herpetic eye disease can present with this complication. Oral antiviral prophylaxis may be appropriate when performing LASIK on patients with a history of ocular or systemic HSV infection.
