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Treatment of Viral Conjunctivitis with Antiviral Drugs

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Abstract

Viral conjunctivitis is one of the most common disorders observed in ophthalmic emergency departments, yet no established treatment exists. Lately, antiviral medications have been introduced into clinical practice; however, a systematic review focusing on their use and effectiveness in the treatment of viral conjunctivitis has not been previously reported. We systemically reviewed the literature to identify studies where antiviral drugs were used to treat viral conjunctivitis. Currently, aciclovir, trifluridine and valaciclovir are commonly used as antiviral agents to treat herpesvirus infections. Cidofovir has been used successfully to treat some cases of adenoviral conjunctivitis, although toxicity has also been reported. The use of other medications, such as idoxuridine, has been minimized in clinical practice due to their high toxicity. Interestingly, most of the antiviral drugs developed are used to treat herpesvirus infections, while less progress has been made in the field of adenoviral infections. For other viral causes of conjunctivitis, no effective remedy is currently available, and treatment focuses on the relief of symptoms. Caution should be exercised when coadministering other pharmacological agents, such as corticosteroids, because of emerging adverse effects.

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Acknowledgements

No sources of funding were used to assist in the preparation of this review. The authors have no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this review.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Chrysanthi L. Skevaki, Michail V. Pararas & Athanassios Tsakris

  2. Center of Immunology & Transplantation, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Ioanna E. Galani

  3. First Department of Ophthalmiatrion Athinon, Athens Eye Hospital, Athens, Greece

    Konstantina P. Giannopoulou

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  1. Chrysanthi L. Skevaki
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  2. Ioanna E. Galani
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Correspondence to Chrysanthi L. Skevaki.

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Skevaki, C.L., Galani, I.E., Pararas, M.V. et al. Treatment of Viral Conjunctivitis with Antiviral Drugs. Drugs 71, 331–347 (2011). https://doi.org/10.2165/11585330-000000000-00000

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