ABSTRACT
Purpose
To describe and to compare the clinical manifestation and laboratory test results of herpetic anterior uveitis (HAU) caused by Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV).
Methods
A retrospective, observational study on patients diagnosed with HAU. Etiology, clinical features, ocular complications, and recurrences of the infection were evaluated as main clinical parameters. The aqueous Interleukin-8 (IL-8) level was also measured to assess the intraocular inflammation.
Results
Thirty-two eyes (32 patients) were involved. Among all involved cases, 24 had VZV-AU and 8 had HSV-AU. Common clinical features of HAU included the presence of KPs (90.6%), distorted pupil (83.3%), Iris atrophy (71.9%) and corneal edema (50%). The intraocular fluid analysis showed higher viral load and IL-8 level in VZV-AU.
Conclusions
Compared with HSV-AU, the intraocular inflammation was more severe in VZV-AU. The intraocular fluid analysis was valuable for the etiological diagnosis and the evaluation of disease severity.
Declaration Of Interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.