A 24-year-old man presented with a 2-day history of redness, photophobia, and blurry vision in the right eye. He reported no medical problems, similar previous episodes, fever, recent illnesses, or recent sexual contact. His vision was 20/50 in the affected right eye and 20/20 in the left eye. The pupils were equal in size and reactive, with no afferent pupillary defect. Corneal sensation was decreased in the right eye. There were no lesions on the face or eyelids.

An anterior ocular examination with the use of fluorescein stain revealed a dendritic ulcer on the cornea that was indicative of a herpes simplex virus infection. There was no surrounding infiltrate or associated inflammation of the anterior chamber. A dilated retinal examination was unremarkable.

He was treated with topical trifluridine (1%) drops, which were applied nine times a day for 1 week. The lesion resolved without any residual scarring; the patient’s vision was not compromised.