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Herpes testing could shed light on risk for vision problems

Updated: 2009-07-31 21:58:47 CST Category: Herpes

by Laurent Castellucci

Scientists have found that patients who had a positive result from a herpes test may be at an increased risk for damage to their cornea, the clear coating in one's eyes, and a new study suggests that the sexually transmitted virus could also limit future treatments.

At the University of Michigan, researchers working with the low number of patients with herpes simplex virus whose eyes have been so damaged that they require a corneal transplant knew that infections like HSV and others could potentially cause problems following the procedure.

But they found that even when herpes flare-ups weren't noticeable, patients who had inflammatory markers in the tissue underneath the transplant were likely to cause transplant rejection and lower success rates.

"It is also possible that treating inflammation intensively before corneal transplant surgery would reduce the risk of rejection," said Dr Roni M. Shtein.

Adults who may be at risk for the condition may want to complete herpes testing so that they and their healthcare providers will be aware of potential future complications such as the transplant issues found by the UM researchers.

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