Herpes zoster ophthalmicus in otherwise healthy children

Purpose To evaluate the complications of herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) in children. Design Prospective-observational case series. Methods Ten healthy patients (five boys, five girls) with HZO were prospectively followed. Data regarding best-corrected visual acuity, biomicroscopy, intraocular pressure, corneal sensitivity, and funduscopy were collected. The median duration of follow-up was 19 months (range eight to 78 months). Results The mean age at presentation was 8.7 years (range two to 14 years ±3.95). At last visit, two patients (20%) had decreased visual acuity and nine (90%) had some degree of abnormal corneal sensitivity and corneal opacity despite good final visual acuity. Conclusion In general, HZO seems to have a good prognosis in healthy children; nonetheless, some cases can present severe eye complications causing visual loss.