Herpes Simplex Virus Infection of the Anterior Segment of the Eye and its Clinical Presentation. A Review

Herpetic infections frequently cause diagnostic errors, which subsequently lead to mistakes in therapy. They affect all the ocular structures, although in everyday practice we most frequently encounter herpetic infections of the anterior segment of the eye. This review article focuses on infections of the anterior segment of the eye caused by the herpes simplex virus. It explains in further detail the specific pathophysiology and course of herpetic infection, which is closely related to the clinical manifestations of the disease. The various stages of primary and secondary infection are described in detail and documented with photographs from the 2nd Eye Clinic of the Slovak Medical University at F.D. Roosevelt Hospital in Banská Bystrica. The last two sections focus on the diagnosis and treatment of herpes simplex virus infections. Correct identification of the form of herpetic disease is crucial for proper therapeutic management.