<i>Herpesvirus</i> Infections of the Corneal Endothelium

Abstract

Corneal endotheliitis is an inflammatory process, most commonly of viral etiology, that manifests clinically with features including corneal edema, keratic precipitates, and a mild anterior chamber reaction. Several studies have implicated human herpesviruses from the Herpesviridae family as primary causes of corneal endotheliitis, including cytomegalovirus (CMV), varicella zoster virus (VZV), and herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2). This review critically evaluates the present literature surrounding herpesvirus infections of the corneal endothelium.

Keywords

• corneal endotheliitis
• corneal edema
• herpetic endotheliitis
• herpesviridae
• HSV endotheliitis
• VZV endotheliitis