DISCIFORM KERATITIS - A CASE OF HERPES-ZOSTER SINE HERPETE

PURPOSE: To describe a case of disciform keratitis in a patient with a cquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in which varicella-zoster vir us was the causative agent. METHOD: Case report. Polymerase chain reac tion based assays for varicella-zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, and her pes simplex virus were used to analyze an aqueous aspirate. RESULTS: W e examined a 41-year-old man with AIDS but without a history of varice lla zoster virus dermatitis who had disciform corneal edema in his lef t eye. Varicella-zoster virus was detected by a polymerase chain react ion-based assay in the aqueous of the left eye; however, neither cytom egalovirus nor herpes simplex virus DNA were detected by polymerase ch ain reaction-based assays. The corneal edema slowly resolved while the patient was treated with famciclovir.CONCLUSION: Varicella-zoster vir us may cause disciform keratitis without a preceding skin eruption.