Neurotrophic Keratopathy After Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus

The aim of this study was to describe risk factors for neurotrophic keratopathy (NK) after herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO).

This study was a retrospective review of all patients seen at the Auckland District Health Board with HZO from 2006 through 2016. Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed to examine time to development of neurotrophic keratitis.

Eight hundred sixty-nine patients were included in the study with a median follow-up of 6.3 years (5504.4 patient-years). The median age was 65.5 years (interquartile range 52.9-75.4), and 456 subjects (52.5%) were male. NK developed in 58 patients (6.7%), with the highest hazard 1 to 2 years after onset of HZO. On univariate analysis, age, White ethnicity, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at presentation, intraocular pressure, corneal involvement, uveitis, and number of recurrences were associated with increased risk of NK. On multivariate analysis, the following factors were significant: age (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.03; P = 0.021), White ethnicity (HR = 3.18; P = 0.015), BCVA (HR = 1.81; P = 0.026), uveitis (HR = 3.77; P = 0.001), and recurrence (HR = 1.34; P < 0.001). Vision loss (BCVA ≤6/15) was more frequent in subjects with NK (65.5% vs. 16.3%, P < 0.001).

NK is a relatively common and serious complication of HZO and occurs more frequently in older White individuals, those with poor visual acuity at presentation, and those with uveitis. Vision loss occurs in approximately two-thirds of patients.