AIM: To study the clinical effects of recombinant human interferonα-2b eye drops combined with ganciclovir ophthalmic gel on the treatment of epithelial herpes simplex viral keratitis(HSK).

METHODS: Totally 50 cases(50 eyes)with epithelial HSK diagnosed in Ophthalmology Department of Jingmen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from April 2011 to October 2012 were enrolled. All the patients were divided into control group and experimental group randomly. Control group was treated by 1.5g/L ganciclovir ophthalmic gel, 6 times per day, while experimental group was treated by 1.5g/L ganciclovir ophthalmic gel combined with recombinant human interferon α-2b eye drops, 6 times per day. All patients were treated for 4 weeks. Then the therapeutic effects of two groups, including the cure rate, time of corneal ulcer healing, pain relief and vision improvement, were compared and analyzed.

RESULTS: No significant differences in general condition between two groups was detected before treatment(P>0.05).The therapeutic effects of experimental group was better than the control group. The cure rate was 69% for experimental group and 42% for control group. The clinical cure rate in experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group, there was statistically significant difference between the two groups(P<0.05). The time for corneal ulcer healing and pain relief in experimental group was significantly shorter than that for the control group(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: The application ofganciclovir ophthalmic gel combined with recombinant human interferon α-2b eye drops in epithelial herpes simplex viral keratitis, which improves visual acuity and the cure rate and shortens the course of disease, is the ideal treatment of epithelial herpes simplex viral keratitis at present.