Patient Education

What is herpes simplex keratitis and how is it treated?

Herpes simplex type 1, the kind that causes cornea problems, is the same type of herpes that causes cold sores in the mouth and on the lips. It is not the sexually transmitted type of herpes. Some people get herpes in the eye, usually in the cornea. It is treated with drops, ointment, pills or a combination of these medications. This therapy generally cures the infection, but it can recur. Recurrent infections may lead to mild to severe scarring and cause decreased vision. Inflammation of the cornea can also occur after a herpes infection that may need to treated carefully with steroid drops. Recurrent bouts of inflammation can lead to mild to severe corneal scarring. If severe scarring develops, it may be treatable with a corneal transplant.

Herpes treatment has progressed significantly since Dr. Laibson started here at Wills. He started doing herpes research in his first year of residency before there were any antiviral drugs. He did this with the director of research at Wills, Ted Sery.

The research was progressing when IDU was discovered, the first antiviral drug effective against herpes. Dr. Laibson was immediately put on a research project which lasted for two years. After that research, Dr. Laibson chose to stay in cornea. He continued his interest in Herpetic Eye Disease with the department’s involvement in the HEDS NIH funded studies, which spanned 10 years.