Wavefront analysis in unilateral herpetic keratitis

Abstract

Abstract Purpose To assess optical aberrations using wavefront analysis in the affected eye of patients with unilateral herpetic keratitis with no apparent visual disturbance (visual acuity : 20/20), and to compare these results with those of the non‐affected eye Methods Corneal optical aberrations from 5 patients with unilateral herpetic keratitis and normal visual acuity (20/20 OU) have been assessed using dynamic skiascopy with OPD Scan II® (Nidek™). Both eyes in all patients were apparently normal using slit‐lamp examination, and wavefront analysis was performed in a quiescent period of the herpetic disease. The fellow eye was used as control. Data were retrospectively analyzed by a blinded examiner. Results Zernike’s polynoms and MTF curve analysis showed bilateral abnormalities in 4 patients, with no specific difference between the two eyes. In contrast, one patient had wavefront disturbances in the affected eye, whereas the non‐affected eye was normal. Conclusion Moderate herpetic keratitis may induce wavefront abnormalities in some patients despite a normal visual acuity and an apparently normal cornea. This could explain visual discomfort that is sometimes described in such patients. . Further studies are needed to unerstand waevfront aberrations induced by herpetic keratitis with normal examination.