Recurrence rates of herpes simplex virus keratitis in contact lens and non-contact lens wearers.

Abstract

To evaluate the recurrence rates of herpes simplex virus (HSV) keratitis in contact lens wearers compared with non-contact lens wearers. Retrospective cohort study. Charts of patients diagnosed with HSV keratitis seen at the Cleveland Clinic between January 2001 and December 2004 were reviewed. One hundred seventeen patients were included in this study: 21 contact lens wearers and 96 non-contact lens wearers. Contact lens wearers were found to have a higher median recurrence rate (0.4 episodes/year) compared with non-contact lens wearers (0.2 episodes/year) (P=0.02). A multivariate regression evaluating factors predictive of the number of recurrences found that contact lens use remained a significant predictive variable (P=0.02) when accounting for patient demographic and disease factors and variable follow-up time. Patients with a history of HSV keratitis should be counseled about the potential increased risk of recurrence that may be associated with contact lens wear.