VIRAL KERATITIS POST DEEP ANTERIOR LAMELLAR KERATOPLASTY A case report

Herpetic Keratitis is known to recur after Penetrating Keratoplasty for herpetic corneal scarring as well as for non - herpetic corneal scars. It has been found that an epithelial defect post penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) for non-herpetic corneal scars, may still be caused by Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) within the first two years. We report the case of a 24 year old woman where Herpes simplex keratitis recurred within one week following Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty. A 24 year old lady presented with complaints of decreased vision in the right eye since 8 years of age following an ocular trauma then. She had no history of any further episodes of redness or pain in that eye. On examination she was found to have a macular corneal scar in the right eye. She underwent a Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty in the right eye. On her 1st follow up visit 7 days post surgery, she was found to have a typical dendritic ulcer in the right eye. She was treated with Ointment Acyclovir and topical steroids following which she was symptomatically better and the epithelial dendrite healed. This case demonstrates a rare occurrence of viral keratitis following DALK surgery as early as the 1st week post operatively and the need to consider it as a differential diagnosis for an epithelial defect after DALK