title: [Molecular detection of herpes simplex virus by polymerase chain reaction in patients with typical and atypical herpetic keratitis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate patients with clinically typical and atypical herpetic keratitis (HK) by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as compared with the clinical diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  PCR in 28 patients with clinical symptoms of typical and atypical HK was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PCR was positive in 57.14% (n=16) of the total cases (n=28). The test was positive in 60.0% (n=12) of the 20 typical HK cases. For epithelial HK, the test was positive in 69.23% (n=9), and 77.78% (n=7) only for dendritic injuries. Atypical HK presented a positive test in 50% (n=4) of eight cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinical typical picture of HK had a good correlation with the positive result of PCR, mainly for epithelial injury of the dendritic type. However, 50% of the patients with atypical HK presented positive PCR. This result showed that PCR test can provide an effective HK diagnosis. In the stromal case of HK, PCR was a useful technique to identify HSV virus.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto (SP) - Brasil. afonsomed36@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Afonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamimura
authors.forename: Magali Ineko
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Takata
authors.forename: Ana Carolina Moraes
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: João Paulo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.forename: Marco Túlio Chater
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Viegas
authors.forename: Valquise Yumi
authors.initials: VY
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: Maurício Lacerda
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Gildásio Castello de
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Almeida Júnior
mesh_terms: D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016849:Keratitis, Herpetic / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral