The Early Diagnosis of Herpetic Ke ratitis by Polymerase Chain Reaction.
- Author:
Jae Yong HEO
1
;
Su Jin KIM
;
Jae Chan KIM
;
Tae Won HAHN
Author Information
1. Department of Ophthalmology, Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University Medical College, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Herpetic keratitis;
Polymerase chain reaction(PCR)
- MeSH:
Diagnosis;
DNA;
Early Diagnosis*;
Humans;
Keratitis;
Keratitis, Herpetic;
Polymerase Chain Reaction*;
Simplexvirus;
Tears
- From:Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society
2001;42(1):36-42
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
We evaluated the efficacy of polymerase chain reaction(PCR)in the early diagnosis of Herpes simplex virus keratitis(HSK). Among 47 patients(47 eyes), 25 patients were clinically herpetic keratitis and the others were other kinds of keratitis clinically. Tear film specimens were taken from 32 eyes and corneal scrapings from 21 eyes with suspicious herpetic keratitis and clinically incongrous with HSK. PCR for tear and corneal scraping was performed with using DNA primer. 67% of corneal scrapings and 19%tear samples of suspicious herpetic keratitis showed PCR positive. Tear samples from keratitis clinically incongruous with HSK were all PCR negative but 40%of corneal scrapings from these patients represented PCR positive. From these results, PCR is a rapid and effective tool for the early diagnosis of herpetic keratitis and especially useful in cases of nonspecific corneal lesion. However, for the accurate diagnosis of HSK, not only PCR results but also patient's history and corneal findings should be well evaluated.
