The results of this study should change medical practice. Herpes of the eye, or ocular herpes, is caused by the herpes simplex virus. This infection can produce a painful sore on the eyelid or surface of the eye and cause inflammation of the cornea, the transparent tissue that covers the front of the eye. The less severe forms of ocular herpes include blepharitis, conjunctivitis, and epithelial keratitis. The more severe form of ocular herpes is stromal keratitis, which causes the body's immune system to attack and destroy an inner layer of the cornea.
Stromal keratitis is more difficult to treat than less severe ocular herpes infections.
An estimated 400,000 Americans have had some form of ocular herpes. Previous studies show that once people develop ocular herpes, they have up to a 50 percent chance of having a recurrence. This second flare-up could come weeks or even years after the initial occurrence. Each year, nearly 50,000 new and recurring cases are diagnosed in the United States, with the more serious stromal keratitis accounting for about 25 percent. This represents a reduction by 41 percent between the two groups.