title: Comparison of the ocular characteristics of anterior uveitis caused by herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, and cytomegalovirus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the clinical characteristics of anterior uveitis (AU) caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), or cytomegalovirus (CMV).
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records were reviewed of 46 patients whose diagnoses were based on their clinical characteristics [e.g., unilateral involvement, presence of keratic precipitates (KPs), and elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP)] and on PCR detection of herpes virus DNA in the aqueous humor. The demographics, chief complaints, and clinical characteristics of the three types of herpetic AU were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 46 patients with AU, eight had HSV-AU, 20 had VZV-AU, and 18 had CMV-AU. HSV-AU and VZV-AU shared common features, i.e., a relatively acute disease process and the presence of large KPs. Among the three groups of patients, the characteristic features of those with VZV-AU were severe intraocular inflammation, as shown by severe aqueous flare, highest viral load in the aqueous humor, and presence of segmental iris atrophy. In comparison, patients with CMV-AU had the mildest intraocular inflammation, lowest corneal endothelial cell density, and highest IOP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the AU caused by each of the three types of herpes viruses has a number of common features, each disease also has distinct features that should facilitate an accurate diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8519, Japan, h.takase.oph@tmd.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takase
authors.forename: Reo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kubono
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Terada
authors.forename: Ayano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Shoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyanaga
authors.forename: Koju
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamoi
authors.forename: Sunao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sugita
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyata
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000821:virology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D006563:Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014606:Uveitis, Anterior / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral