Corneal Infiltrates in Epidemic Keratoconjunctivitis

Twenty patients with epidemic keratoconjunctivitis without typical subepithelial corneal infiltrates early in the course of their disease were treated in a double-blind regimen with either topical administration of corticosteroid or nonsteroid eye drops for four weeks, four times daily. The corneal infiltrates failed to appear while on steroid therapy in a significant number of patients compared to placebo drops. Subepithelial corneal infiltrates were noted to occur on cessation of administration of corticosteroid drops but once again disappeared if steroids were reinstituted up to one year later. This was also shown in a second double-blind study involving 17 patients nine to twelve months after their initial adenoviral type 8 ocular infection.