Antiviral treatment thwarts recurring eye problems from herpes simplex

An article about research conducted by Keith H. Baratz, M.D., and colleagues at Mayo Clinic was the second most-read story of 2010 by Medscape subscribers registered as eye specialists.

Fran Lowry's article, "Antiviral Treatment Thwarts Recurring Eye Problems From Herpes Simplex," is based on a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology in September 2010.

The paper, "Incidence, Recurrence, and Outcomes of Herpes Simplex Virus Eye Disease in Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1976-2007: The Effect of Oral Antiviral Prophylaxis," was based on a generation of cases in Olmsted County.

"Our objective was to provide an estimate of the incidence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) eye disease in a community-based cohort," notes Dr. Baratz. "We also wanted to investigate the effect of prophylactic oral antiviral therapy on HSV recurrences and outcomes."

All Olmsted County residents who received a diagnosis of ocular HSV infection from 1976 through 2007 were retrospectively reviewed for the study. The frequency of recurrences and adverse outcomes was compared between a patient group with no treatment and a patient group treated prophylactically with oral antiviral medication.

"The research indicated that for patients in the study, oral antiviral prophylaxis was associated with a decreased risk of recurrence of epithelial keratitis, stromal keratitis, conjunctivitis and blepharitis due to HSV infection," says Dr. Baratz.

The research was sponsored by Mayo Clinic and the Research to Prevent Blindness, New York, N.Y. Dr. Baratz was the senior author. The other authors were Ryan C. Young, B.A., medical statistician David O. Hodge, M.S., and Thomas J. Liesegang, M.D.