Corneal thickness changes during herpes simplex virus disciform keratitis.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the changes in corneal thickness determined by ultrasonic pachymetry during follow-up of herpes simplex virus disciform corneal edema.


METHODS
Thirty-five patients with herpetic keratitis underwent slit-lamp biomicroscopy and ultrasonic pachymetry. Measurements during follow-up and at clinical resolution of corneal inflammation were compared with the initial corneal thickness.


RESULTS
Corneal thickness of disciform stromal keratitis decreased 15% (95% confidence interval 10% to 20%) during follow-up, and 65% (95% confidence interval 43% to 88%) of this decrease occurred during the first 2 weeks. Increased central corneal thickness measured by pachymetry was associated with biomicroscopic detection of corneal edema (P = 0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
Corneal pachymetry supplements clinical assessment of herpetic disciform edema.
Wilhelmus
Kirk R
KR
Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. kirkw@bcm.tmc.edu
Sugar
Joel
J
Hyndiuk
Robert A
RA
Stulting
R Doyle
RD
D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015715:Corneal Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016849:Keratitis, Herpetic / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography