Abstract
Purpose :
Identifying relapsing disease activity can be challenging in patients with herpes zoster keratitis as subtle changes in haze are oftentimes asymptomatic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether corneal densitometry could be used to follow disease activity in individuals with herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) associated keratitis.
Methods :
Densitometry images of 4 individuals with HZO keratitis seen at the Miami Veteran Affairs Medical Center were retrospectively analyzed. Densitometry values were obtained utilizing Scheimpflug technology (Pentacam®, Oculus Inc., Wetzlar, Germany). Densitometry values were compared to clinical assessment of disease activity.
Results :
Of the 4 individuals identified, 1 had no signs of disease activity, 2 were diagnosed with relapsing disease activity by clinical examination, and 1 had indeterminate activity. The individual with no clinical signs of disease activity had minimal changes on densitometry over time as compared to prior baseline values (Figure 1). On the other hand, densitometry values in the 2 individuals with recurrent disease activity exhibited marked variation in over time (Figure 2, Figure 3). In addition, a general increase in densitometry values over time was noted. The patient whose clinical examination was indeterminate was noted to have grossly unchanged densitometry values over time (Figure 4).
Conclusions :
Our findings suggest that densitometry measurements can be used to identify recurrent disease activity in individuals with VZO keratitis.
This is a 2020 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.