viral pink eye

[LSNick]

My daughter is living in Cambodia and about a month ago contracted a severe form of viral pink eye. The virus has subsided somewhat but she has been told that the cornea is permanently damaged in one eye with holes in the cornea. This is causing her to have blurred vision that, according to the doctor in Cambodia, cannot be corrected and will not go away. He states that the virus will always be in her body and can reoccur at anytime in the future. Any comments of this? Can the cornea heal itself from such a brutal virus?

[LSNick]

I have found out that the doctor in Cambodia is calling the virus in her eye Disciform keratitis. He put her on steroid drops which has helped with the swelling, pain and some of the vision loss. She is now in the process of tapering the drops but once again, the doctor says that this can reoccur at anytime. What do you know about this virus?
Thanks

[Michael J Kutryb, MD]

Usually the only virus that we think of that remains dormant and reoccur is the herpes simplex virus or herpes zoster virus, both of which have the ability to cause significant permanant vision loss.  Now, I am not sure if she had one of those but it also possible she had some terrible other virus such as adenovirus which while less damaging usually, can cause some permanant corneal scars in some patients.  Healing and time can help more with those type of lesion compared to herpes simplex which can be quite severe in some cases.  Ask her to get more specific information since things are just to general to give you any decent advise.