[Antiviral agents and corneal epithelium cicatrisation: study in rabbits (author's transl)].

Five clinically-used antiviral drugs (3% adenine arabinoside ointment; 3% acycloguanosine ointment; 0.24% idoxuridine ointment; 1% trifluorothymidine drops) were compared with a control (petrolatum base) to determine their toxic effects on rabbit corneal epithelium after injury by iodine vapors: --Only trifluorothymidine significantly retarded healing of epithelial erosions. --Histopathologic examination after seven-day treatment showed that all five drugs, except vidarabine and to a lesser degree acycloguanosine, caused toxic changes in the regenerating epithelium.