TRIGGERING FACTORS OF OCULAR HERPES ZOSTER: A NARRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

The varicella-zoster virus is responsible for two important viral syndromes: chicken pox and herpes zoster. The virus has the respiratory tract and the skin as a gateway, spreading through the lymphatic system. Its neuronal latency in the sensory ganglion can be interrupted, generating a typical picture of herpes zoster with involvement of a dermatome. The incidence of ocular herpes zoster was five times higher in the population aged 65 years or older compared to other age groups. This shows that the occurrence of manifestations is significantly higher in the geriatric population. With the increase in life expectancy and the advent of the population aging process, diseases like this can drastically impact all spheres of public health, bringing devastating results to the visual function of many people. In cases of uncertainty, the diagnosis of ocular herpes zoster can be aided by laboratory investigations. However, the primary diagnosis is clinical. Therefore, this narrative literature review gathered articles from the main databases aiming to investigate the main triggering factors of ocular herpes zoster in the selected literature. It was concluded that the main triggering factors for ocular herpes zoster are: advanced age, immunosuppression, trauma, irradiation and primary infections in the early stages of life.