Combination therapy for dendritic keratitis with human leukocyte interferon and acyclovir.

We treated 45 patients with virologically verified dendritic keratitis with a combination of interferon and acyclovir 3% or with placebo and acyclovir 3% in a double-masked study. One drop of human leukocyte interferon (30 X 10(6) IU/ml) or albumin-placebo was administered daily. Acyclovir ointment was applied five times daily. The mean healing time of the corneal ulcers in 24 patients treated with interferon and acyclovir was 3.9 days and the mean healing time in 21 patients treated with placebo and acyclovir was seven days. The difference was significant (P less than .001).