[Preventive treatment of herpetic keratitis with acyclovir tablets]

Although several drugs are available to treat superficial herpes simplex keratitis, viral latency and recurrences represent clinical challenges that have been inadequately addressed by current topical antiviral agents. One hundred and ninety patients with previous herpes simplex keratitis were entered in an open study to evaluate the efficacy of the prophylactic therapy of recurrence with Acyclovir (200 mg) four times daily for 1 month to 24 months. Forty patients were treated because of frequently recurring herpetic keratitis; 36 were treated during a short period because of known risk factors; 23 were treated after ocular surgery which needed topical corticosteroid therapy in the postoperative period and 91 patients were treated after penetrating keratoplasty for herpetic keratitis. The results of this study indicate that oral Acyclovir significantly lowered the incidence of recurrences of herpetic keratitis in selected patients.