Topical BVDU plus low-dosage steroids in the treatment of chronic relapsing zoster keratouveitis. A pilot study.

A therapeutic trial with topical bromovinyldeoxyuridine (BVDU) plus low-dosage steroids was conducted in five patients with chronic zoster keratouveitis, who had previously received topical acyclovir (ACV) and steroids. In all cases, BVDU (plus steroids) was found to be superior to ACV (plus steroids). Yet BVDU was not able to keep the patients from having chronic relapsing varicella-zoster keratouveitis. This can probably be explained by pathophysiological reasons, i.e., the persistence and low-grade multiplication of the varicella-zoster virus in peripheral eye tissues during the chronic carrier stage. It is possible that this chronic carrier status could be obviated by vigorous antiviral treatment during the acute phase of the illness.