Abstract
Forty patients with disciform keratitis were randomly assigned to double-blind treatment with 3% acyclovir and 0.01% betamethasone drops or acyclovir and matching placebo. All patients who received the combination healed in a median time of 21 days, while 11 of 19 patients who received acyclovir alone were withdrawn because their condition remained static or worsened (p less than 0.001). The combination therapy produced a faster rate of healing (p = 0.004); other clinical parameters also improved more favourably in the combination treatment group. Three patients had mild transient punctate keratopathy, but no serious adverse effects were seen despite treatment for a median duration of 28 days in the acyclovir group and 38 days in the combined therapy group. A combination of acyclovir and dilute steroid drops is effective in the management of disciform keratitis.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Colin J., Tournoux A., Chastel C., Renard G. Kératite herpétique superficielle. Traitement comparatif en double insu par acycloriv et idoxuridine. Nouv Presse Med. 1981 Oct 10;10(36):2969-70, 2975. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Collum L. M., Benedict-Smith A., Hillary I. B. Randomised double-blind trial of acyclovir and idoxuridine in dendritic corneal ulceration. Br J Ophthalmol. 1980 Oct;64(10):766–769. doi: 10.1136/bjo.64.10.766. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Coster D. J., Wilhelmus K. R., Michaud R., Jones B. R. A comparison of acyclovir and idoxuridine as treatment for ulcerative herpetic keratitis. Br J Ophthalmol. 1980 Oct;64(10):763–765. doi: 10.1136/bjo.64.10.763. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Elion G. B., Furman P. A., Fyfe J. A., de Miranda P., Beauchamp L., Schaeffer H. J. Selectivity of action of an antiherpetic agent, 9-(2-hydroxyethoxymethyl) guanine. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Dec;74(12):5716–5720. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.12.5716. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jones B. R., Coster D. J., Fison P. N., Thompson G. M., Cobo L. M., Falcon M. G. Efficacy of acycloguanosine (Wellcome 248U) against herpes-simplex corneal ulcers. Lancet. 1979 Feb 3;1(8110):243–244. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(79)90769-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kaufman H. E. Editorial: Herpetic stromal disease. Am J Ophthalmol. 1975 Dec;80(6):1092–1094. doi: 10.1016/0002-9394(75)90343-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- McGill J., Tormey P., Walker C. B. Comparative trial of acyclovir and adenine arabinoside in the treatment of herpes simplex corneal ulcers. Br J Ophthalmol. 1981 Sep;65(9):610–613. doi: 10.1136/bjo.65.9.610. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Pavan-Langston D., Lass J., Hettinger M., Udell I. Acyclovir and vidarabine in the treatment of ulcerative herpes simplex keratitis. Am J Ophthalmol. 1981 Dec;92(6):829–835. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9394(14)75638-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Schaeffer H. J., Beauchamp L., de Miranda P., Elion G. B., Bauer D. J., Collins P. 9-(2-hydroxyethoxymethyl) guanine activity against viruses of the herpes group. Nature. 1978 Apr 13;272(5654):583–585. doi: 10.1038/272583a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Young B. J., Patterson A., Ravenscroft T. A randomised double-blind clinical trial of acyclovir (Zovirax) and adenine arabinoside in herpes simplex corneal ulceration. Br J Ophthalmol. 1982 Jun;66(6):361–363. doi: 10.1136/bjo.66.6.361. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]