Failure to Diagnose Eye Herpes

Misdiagnosis of Ocular Herpes

Herpes simplex keratitis is an infection of the cornea caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). Also known as eye herpes, or ocular herpes, this illness should be treated by a doctor as serious complications can arise.

Failure to diagnose ocular herpes, and failure to treat eye herpes, may result in permanent vision loss and blindness.  Eye doctors, both ophthalmologists and optometrists, are trained to diagnose eye herpes through its signs and symptoms.

What Causes Eye Herpes?

Herpes keratitis, commonly known as eye herpes, is an inflammation of the cornea, the clear dome that covers the front part of the eye.

Herpes keratitis is caused by the herpes simplex virus. Herpes is a common family of viruses, and most people carry some sort of herpes virus in them for life. The condition is caused by a reactivation of an already present herpes simplex virus. The herpes simplex virus never leaves the body after an initial (or primary) infection.

After that primary infection, the virus remains in a dormant stage within the nerves. Sometimes, the virus reactivates and causes further symptoms.

Eye herpes typically affects only one eye -- uinlateral symptoms -- and is one of the most frequent causes of blindness in one eye in the U.S.

Eye Herpes Symptoms

Patients with HSV keratitis often present to their eye doctor with one of the following symptoms

• pain
• photophobia
• • sensitivity to light
• blurred vision
• tearing
• redness

Because symptoms usually resemble those of common conjunctivitis, so the diagnosis of herpes simplex infection is frequently not made. Typically, however, herpes simplex keratitis or herpes zoster keratitis are unilateral.

This means that if a patient presents to an eye doctor, whether ophthalmologist or optometrist, with conjunctivitis symptoms in a single eye, then a differential diagnosis (i.e. rule out diagnosis) of eye herpes should be made.

Because the infection can affect the cornea, immediate treatment must begin.  Failure to diagnose eye herpes or failure to diagnose ocular herpes can result in corneal scarring, and permanent blindness.  Misdiagnosis of eye herpes as conjunctivitis which results in corneal scarring and blindness may be grounds for an eye doctor malpractice claim.

Medical Treatment for Ocular Herpes

Once diagnosed, the eye doctor must act quickly, and usually takes the following treatment courses:

• prescribe an antiviral eyedrop such as trifluridine
• • Acyclovir (Zovirax) by mouth
• treatment should be started as soon as possible
• infections that cause deep inflammation may require use of corticosteroid drops and drops that dilate the eye
• • atropine (Atreza)
  • scopolamine (Scopace).
• the eye doctor may gently rub the surface of the cornea to remove infectious virus and viral antigens that contribute to the keratitis

Antiviral therapy, topical or oral, can be an effective treatment of ophthalmic herpes infections. Patients with frequent recurrences of ocular HSV may be placed on a long-term regimen of oral antiviral medication at a maintenance dose to reduce this frequency.

Medical Malpractice Attorney

If you have been the victim of malpractice because of failure to diagnose ocular herpes, failure to misdiagnosis of eye herpes, or failure to treat ocular herpes, and suffered blindness or permanent vision loss, then contact our office for an immediate, confidential, consultation.