title: Patients with an acute zonal occult outer retinopathy-like illness rapidly improve with valacyclovir treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe 3 cases of an acute zonal occult outer retinopathy-like illness responsive to valacyclovir hydrochloride.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, interventional case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three patients were treated with valacyclovir and monitored by clinical examination, Goldmann visual field testing, and electroretinography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with an acute zonal occult outer retinopathy-like illness presented following progressive vision loss. This course was immediately reversed by treatment with oral valacyclovir, and visual acuity and visual field improved significantly at 1 week and 1 month. Patients remained stable without treatment during a follow-up period ranging from 1 to 3 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some conditions with features of acute zonal occult outer retinopathy may be attributable to a subacute herpetic viral infection that is responsive to oral antiviral medication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver Family Center for Macular Degeneration, University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
authors.forename: Vinit B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Mahajan
authors.forename: Edwin M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Stone
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000212:Acyclovir / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004596:Electroretinography; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012607:Scotoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D000077483:Valacyclovir; D014633:Valine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058609:Visual Field Tests; D014794:Visual Fields
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D014633:Valine; D000077483:Valacyclovir; D000212:Acyclovir