Excimer laser photokeratectomy reactivates latent herpes simplex virus.
BACKGROUND
It has been reported that excimer laser irradiation might elicit herpes simplex virus (HSV) genome activation. We describe a clinical case in which HSV DNA sequences were detected quantitatively after phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK).


METHODS
A 90-year-old woman underwent excimer laser photokeratectomy for bilateral band-shaped keratopathy. Tear film was collected from both eyes using a Schirmer's strip before and 3 and 7 days after phototherapeutic keratectomy.


METHODS
HSV-DNA was quantified by a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. HSV-DNA was detected only on the third day postoperatively in both eyes. The amount of viral DNA was 2.0 x 10(5) (OD) and 1.3 x 10(5) (OS) copies/sample, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Excimer laser photokeratectomy stimulated viral shedding in the tear film. Ophthalmologists should be aware that laser irradiation can reactivate latent HSV.
Deai
Tatsunori
T
Department of Ophthalmology, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama 589-8511, Japan. deai@ganka.med.kindai.ac.jp
Fukuda
Masahiko
M
Tomoda
Yumiko
Y
Higaki
Shiro
S
Hayashi
Kozaburo
K
Shimomura
Yoshikazu
Y
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016849:Keratitis, Herpetic / Q000209:etiology*; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013666:Tears / Q000821:virology*; D014775:Virus Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D017201:Virus Shedding
D004279:DNA, Viral