Objective: To evaluate the demographic characteristics, systemic comorbidities, and ocular manifestations of herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) patients in a tertiary referral center, and to analyze associations between Hutchinson's sign and ocular involvement. Material and Methods: In this retrospective descriptive study, the medical records of patients diagnosed with HZO between January 2022-March 2025 were reviewed. Data on demographics, systemic diseases, ocular findings, and treatments were collected. Best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and both anterior and posterior segment involvement were comprehensively assessed. The relationship between Hutchinson's sign and ocular complications was statistically analyzed. Results: A total of 115 patients (115 eyes) were included, with a mean age of 57.9±20.3 years; 53.9% were female. Systemic comorbidities were present in 64.3%, with hypertension (40.9%), immunosuppression (28.7%), and diabetes (27.0%) being the most common. Unilateral involvement was predominant (87.8%), while bilateral disease was observed in 12.2%. Ocular findings included vesicular eyelid lesions (87.0%), blepharoconjunctivitis (73.9%), periorbital edema (68.7%), ptosis (55.7%), and corneal involvement (51.3%), with pseudodendritic (23.5%) and stromal keratitis (14.8%) being the most common corneal pathologies. Anterior uveitis was detected in 13%. Hutchinson's sign was significantly associated with iris involvement (p=0.023), anterior uveitis (p=0.020), disciform keratitis (p=0.002), and skin involvement (p=0.007). Conclusion: HZO remains a significant cause of ocular morbidity, especially in older adults and those with systemic comorbidities. Hutchinson's sign is a critical predictor of severe ocular involvement. Early diagnosis and antiviral therapy are essential for preventing vision-threatening complications.
CEYLAN et al. (Thu,) studied this question.