Combination therapy for dendritic keratitis with acyclovir and alpha-interferon.

Abstract

Fifty-nine patients with superficial herpetic keratitis were treated with 3% acyclovir ointment five times a day in combination with alpha-interferon (30 million IU/mL) or albumin-placebo once a day in a stratified double-masked clinical trial. All patients had minimal wiping of the superficial lesion to isolate virus. The healing time of the corneal ulcers was substantially lower with the combination of acyclovir and interferon than with the combination of acyclovir and placebo. Only minor toxic effects were observed. The combination of acyclovir and interferon appears to be the best presently known treatment for dendritic keratitis.

• Authors: E W de Koning, O P van Bijsterveld, K Cantell
• Journal: Archives of ophthalmology (Chicago, Ill. : 1960) (Arch Ophthalmol) Vol. 101 Issue 12 Pg. 1866-8 (Dec 1983) ISSN: 0003-9950 [Print] United States
• PMID: 6360110 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)

Chemical References

• Interferon Type I
• Acyclovir

Topics

• Acyclovir (therapeutic use)
• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Child
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Double-Blind Method
• Drug Therapy, Combination
• Female
• Humans
• Interferon Type I (therapeutic use)
• Keratitis, Dendritic (drug therapy)
• Male
• Middle Aged