HERPETIC STROMAL DISEASE - RESPONSE TO ACYCLOVIR STEROID THERAPY/

The efficacy of combined acyclovir and steroid therapy in the treatmen t of herpetic stromal disease was evaluated by clinical evaluation of disease, the rebound of disease following termination of therapy, and the recovery of virus and viral DNA from corneas in a rabbit model. Th erapy with acyclovir alone produced a significant reduction in corneal thickness in 10% of eyes. Addition of steroid to acyclovir therapy de creased the severity of stromal disease as measured by corneal thickne ss and increased the frequency of response to treatment to 63% of eyes . All eyes receiving acyclovir alone experienced rebound of disease fo llowing termination of therapy. Combined therapy increased the severit y of rebound of corneal disease. Virus was recovered from cell culture s established after recovery from rebound in 50% of untreated and trea ted eyes. Viral DNA was detected by PCR in five of the nine corneal cu ltures which did not produce infectious virus.