A case of herpetic keratitis after intravitreal triamcinolone injection

We report a case of herpetic epithelial keratitis that developed after intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection.

An 81-year-old man with diabetes with severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy and diffuse macular edema in both eyes received bilateral intravitreal injections of 0.4 mg/0.1 mL of triamcinolone acetonide.

Eighteen days after the injections, the patient presented with redness, tearing, foreign body sensation, and decreased visual acuity in the right eye. The cornea showed dendriform ulcers that exhibited positive fluorescein staining. Diagnosis for herpes simplex epithelial keratitis was made, and topical acyclovir ointment therapy was initiated. The epithelial lesions healed after 7 days of therapy.

Herpes simplex epithelial keratitis can be a possible complication of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection. The course and response to conventional therapy was no different from that of the classical course of the disease.