Clinical Effect of Acyclovir Therapy on Herpetic Keratitis

ABSTRACT

Acyclovir is highly selective and relatively non-toxic anti-herpes agent. Thirt-y-seven patients with herpetic keratitis were treated with acyclovir. (23 patients with pure epithelial type, 4 patients with accompanying stromal keratitis, and 10 patients with accompanying keratouveitis). Acyclovir was very effective in 23 patients with pure epithelial herpetic keratitis. All epithelial defects healed in a mean healing time of 6.2 +/- 2.3 days. In 4 patients with stromal keratitis, 3 patients healed within 14 days and 1 patient healed on 27 days. In 10 patients with keratouveitis, 8 patients healed within 14 days, 1 patient healed on 21 days, and 1 patient was not healed even after one month. Four patients developed superficial punctate keratopathy during therapy, but no other serious adverse effects were seen.