Successful treatment of dendritic keratitis with human leukocyte interferon. A controlled clinical study.

There were 40 virologically confirmed cases of dendritic keratitis treated in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. After thermomechanical debridement of the corneal epithelium, the patients received two drops of human leukocyte interferon (HLI) twice daily. The activity was 3 X 10(-6) units/ml. HLI significantly accelerated healing and inhibited virus shedding. It remains to be studied whether HLI will be equally effective in the prophylaxis of late herpes recurrences.