HERPES

Our 6 year old has Herpes in his Eye

Dear Dr. Tom:

OUR SIX YEAR OLD SON HAS HAD OUT BREAKS SINCE HE WAS 1 1/2 YEARS OLD. NOW IT HAS MOVED INTO HIS EYE. WHAT CAN WE DO? THE LOCAL DOCTORS ONLY TELL US THERE IS NO CURE. IF THIS IS THE CASE WHAT TREATMENTS WOULD YOU RECOMMEND? WILL HE GROW OUT OF THIS? CAN THE VIRUS MOVE INTO HIS OTHER EYE? LOOKING FOR ANSWERS. THANKS

---

Dr. Tom’s Response:

Dear Looking for Answers:

Your local doctors are correct about having no cure for the herpetic auto-inoculation into your son’s eye. While the possibility exists that the virus can move to the other eye, I think the best approach to both prevention of further spread and treatment would be to seek the advice of a pediatric ophthalmologist. That person might consider seriously evaluating your child?s present system of immune globulins and his genetic immune precursors. The immunoglobulins are proteins formed by all of us that tend to protect against invading micro-organisms. Formation of these immunoglobulins by the human body has as its origin genes which determine the capability to produce the protective serum and tissue proteins. Immune response capability tends to increase with age, so your son?s developing immune defense to infectious micro-organisms should improve if he has the necessary genetic predisposition. You are most likely to find a physician with such credentials attached to a major medical center or a university medical center. I am not qualified to advise you on treatment. That would be the domain of your pediatric specialist. I am aware, however, of a child who was helped to respond to his herpes infection through a tissue implant (homograft) that enhanced his ability to produce immunoglobulin. A computerized search of the medical literature should help to locate publications dealing with such problems if, in fact, your child had some deficiency. Your pediatric specialist would be the person to request such a search. I wish you the best.

---