Could polymerase chain reaction tests on conjunctival swabs be useful to diagnose herpetic keratitis?

INTRODUCTION Diagnosis of HSV-1 keratitis (HK) is frequently based on clinical findings. Invasive specimens (corneal scrapings, biopsies) are required for microbiological diagnosis. METHODS Corneal scrapings and conjunctival swabs were collected on patients with/without clinical suspicion of HK from 2007 to 2012. RESULTS The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for conjunctival swabs by PCR was 77.8, 92.1, 84.4 and 88.3, respectively. DISCUSSION Conjunctival swabs by PCR may help in the diagnosis of HK, despite the limited sensitivity.