Secondary bacterial infections in herpes simplex keratitis.

In nine patients who had herpetic corneal disease, secondary bacterial infections developed. Five of the patients had the ulcers in their own cornea, whereas four had them in corneal transplants in which the graft had been performed because of herpes. All of the patients with grafts were receiving topical steroids when the ulcer developed. Four of the eyes had active herpetic disease at the time of onset, four had no known active disease, and in one it was unknown. The infections respond well to topical treatment except in eyes that had been grafted because of herpes. Staphylococcus was the most frequent invader in these corneas and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the second most common.