Acyclovir and vidarabine for the treatment of herpes simplex keratitis.

Seventy-three patients were studied in a prospective, randomized double-controlled trial to determine the efficacy and side effects of 3 percent acyclovir or 3 percent vidarabine ointment in treating epithelial herpetic keratitis. Thirty-eight patients were treated with vidarabine and 35 patients with acyclovir. Sixty-eight patients ahd dendritic keratitis and five patients had geographic keratitis. There was no statistically significant difference between acyclovir and vidarabine for the treatment of epithelial keratitis in reference to epithelial healing, post-treatment visual acuity, or iritis. Neither drug was more effective in preventing secondary superficial stromal changes, nor was there any difference in the adverse reactions seen with acyclovir or vidarabine.