Recurrence rate of herpetic uveitis in patients on long-term oral acyclovir.
We examined the recurrence rate of herpetic uveitis (HU) in 13 patients (group A) treated prophylactically with long-term systemic acyclovir (600-800 mg/day) and compared it with that of 7 patients with no prophylactic therapy (group B). HU was diagnosed on the basis of a history of dendritic or disciform keratitis accompanied by iridocyclitis and iris atrophy. The study population consisted of 12 men and 8 women with a mean age at onset of uveitis of 52.9 years (range 19-78 years). All patients were followed for at least 8 months. The mean follow-up time of patients on long-term oral acyclovir was 26.0 months. In this group, only one patient experienced a single recurrent episode of uveitis while on 600-800 mg/day of acyclovir therapy; two additional patients had recurrence of HU within 16.2 months after the acyclovir dose was tapered below 600 mg/day. In striking contrast, 16 recurrences occurred in the 7 patients of group B (p < 0.05). Of these, the initial recurrence occurred within an average of 4.3 months following cessation of therapy. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the mean recurrence-free interval between patients in group A (24.6 months) and those in group B (3.4 months). Herpetic uveitis is a serious ocular disease in which recurrence of inflammation results in severe ocular complications. The long-term use of oral acyclovir may be of benefit in the prevention of recurrences, and hence may reduce the blinding complications of this disease. Efforts at completing a randomized, placebo-controlled trial on this matter by the Herpes Epithelial Disease Study Group were unsuccessful due to insufficient patient recruitment.
Rodriguez
A
A
Immunology & Uveitis Service, Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
Power
W J
WJ
Neves
R A
RA
Foster
C S
CS
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D000212:Acyclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001284:Atrophy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015863:Iridocyclitis / Q000821:virology; D007498:Iris / Q000473:pathology; D007635:Keratitis, Dendritic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016849:Keratitis, Herpetic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014605:Uveitis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D014792:Visual Acuity
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000212:Acyclovir