Question
I’ve been feeling discomfort in my eyes lately, with excessive tearing and some pain. A friend mentioned it might be viral keratitis. What symptoms might occur after the disease develops?
Answer
Viral keratitis can present in various types. MAP keratitis is characterized by an expanding ulcer area, irregular edges, and a gray map-like or deformed appearance. Dendritic keratitis is accompanied by photophobia, excessive tearing, eye pain, and a sensation of foreign bodies. The lesion appears as pinpoint infiltrations on the corneal surface, with small vesicles in the epithelium forming dendritic vesicles. After vesicle rupture, the epithelium peels off to form shallow clefts, ultimately leading to branching lesions. The epithelium near the lesion is prone to edema and dissolution, and it is easy to fall off from the anterior elastic layer.