Purpose: To find out if varicella zoster virus is the causative agent of Thygeson's superficial punctuate keratitis.
Methods: Epithelial cells were harvested from the punctuate epithelial lesions 9 patients with Thygeson's superficial punctate keratitis. After DNA extraction polymerase chain reaction was carried out with varicella zoster virus primers.
Results: All samples were negative with regard to varicella zoster virus genome.
Conclusions: This result suggests that varicella zoster virus is most probably not the causative agent of Thygeson's superficial punctate keratitis.