Corneal thickness changes during herpes simplex virus disciform keratitis.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the changes in corneal thickness determined by ultrasonic pachymetry during follow-up of herpes simplex virus disciform corneal edema. METHODS: Thirty-five patients with herpetic keratitis underwent slit-lamp biomicroscopy and ultrasonic pachymetry. Measurements during follow-up and at clinical resolution of corneal inflammation were compared with the initial corneal thickness. RESULTS: Corneal thickness of disciform stromal keratitis decreased 15% (95% confidence interval 10% to 20%) during follow-up, and 65% (95% confidence interval 43% to 88%) of this decrease occurred during the first 2 weeks. Increased central corneal thickness measured by pachymetry was associated with biomicroscopic detection of corneal edema (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Corneal pachymetry supplements clinical assessment of herpetic disciform edema.