Primary herpes simplex iridocyclitis with iris atrophy.

Abstract

Anterior uveitis secondary to the herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a common finding in patients with herpetic corneal disease. Although HSV iridocyclitis has been documented in the absence of active keratitis, it is thought to occur relatively infrequently and to have a short self-limited course. 1 We report herein a case of herpetic anterior uveitis that developed as the primary manifestation of the HSV infection. This uveitis produced a chronic inflammation of the anterior chamber with associated iris atrophy in the absence of corneal or epithelial disease. Report of a Case. —A 38-year-old white man was referred to the eye clinic with a 3-day history of a red painful right eye. The patient was well until 3 days prior to referral when he noticed the gradual onset of a foreign-body sensation, slight photophobia, and progressively increasing pain in the right eye. There was no history of cutaneous, genital, or ocular