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Clinical pattern of recurrent herpes simplex keratitis
1Department of Ophthalmology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. medinst@pgi.chd.nic.in
Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
|September 1, 2005
Summary
Recurrent herpes simplex eye disease often presents with the same clinical pattern in subsequent episodes. Understanding these patterns may help predict disease manifestation and inform treatment strategies.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Virology
- Immunology
Background:
- Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a common cause of infectious eye disease.
- Recurrent ocular HSV infections can lead to significant morbidity, including vision loss.
- Understanding recurrence patterns is crucial for managing chronic HSV keratitis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To document the clinical patterns observed in recurrent herpes simplex eye disease.
- To analyze factors influencing recurrence and disease-free intervals.
- To investigate the consistency of clinical manifestations during recurrences.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of eyes with documented recurrent corneal manifestations of HSV.
- Evaluation of clinical patterns, age, disease-free intervals, triggers, laterality, and steroid use.
- Follow-up duration averaged 6.9 years.
Main Results:
- Recurrence rate observed was 0.6 episodes per year.
- Disease-free intervals were longer for epithelial herpes simplex disease (75.7 months) compared to stromal disease (21.3 months).
- Recurrence patterns were consistent with the initial episode in 84% of disciform keratitis, 72.7% of epithelial keratitis, and 75% of endothelitis cases.
Conclusions:
- Herpes simplex eye disease frequently recurs with a consistent clinical pattern.
- The consistency of recurrence patterns suggests a role for specific herpes simplex virus biotypes in disease manifestation.
- This finding supports the hypothesis that viral factors influence the clinical presentation of recurrent ocular HSV.