title: Therapeutic keratoplasty for active herpetic corneal disease: viral culture and prognosis.
abstract: Data are presented on a 5-year follow-up of 23 patients with active herpetic corneal disease, who underwent lamellar or penetrating corneal grafts. Excised corneal buttons were virologically examined and positive herpes simplex virus was found in 7 cases. The prognosis of these 7 cases was particularly grave. For comparison 23 cases are reported of patients with inactive herpetic corneal disease. Causes of failure in both groups are discussed.
mesh_terms: D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007635:Keratitis, Dendritic / Q000601:surgery*; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*