Qamar Gulzar
Avalon University School of Medicine, Curaçao
Title: Management and treatment of herpes simplex keratitis(HSK)
Biography
Biography: Qamar Gulzar
Abstract
Herpes simplex viral (HSV) keratitis is a common and serious external ocular infection leading to unilateral blindness primarily because of its recurrent nature. Despite considerable progress in understanding of the virus at cellular and molecular levels, the proper management of the disease in its different stages is still a dilemma particularly whether to use antiviral or steroids or both. The risk of using steroids with its attendant complications has to be weighed against the risk of progression of the disease if avoiding the use of steroids. This dilemma can be reduced to a considerable extent if basic principles of virology and pathogenesis are kept in mind. This article reviews current concepts of virological and clinical aspects of HSV keratitis to enable a broad understanding of the disease process. It is recognized several influential host factors including the fact that HSK is more common in men than women.It is observed that the ability of HSV to establish latent infection in sensory neurons and possibly cornea, but have as yet been unable to use this knowledge to prevent the disease limitations. Acknowledging limitations may further stimulate application of laboratory knowledge in coping with HSK which constitutes to present major challenge in terms of management.