[Arabinosyladenine in ophthalmology (author's transl)]

Arabinosyladenine (Ara-A) is an antiviral compound employed for ophthalmological lesions in the form of a 3 p. cent ointment. This purine nucleoside has been shown to possess antiviral activity against several ADN viruses, including herpes simplex virus, but it is ineffective against ARN viruses. Its action in superficial herpetic keratitis is comparable with that of idoxuridine, tolerance to the two compounds being almost identical. Ara-A is of value for treating superficial keratitis lesions not responding to idoxuridine. The weak intra-ocular penetration of Ara-A explains its lack of efficacy in stromal keratitis and herpetic kerato-uveitis, forms in which certain analogues of Ara-A could be beneficial.