Conjunctivitis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Conjunctivitis, including details on pink eye, symptoms, causes, treatment, medication.

The impact of the onset time of atopic keratoconjunctivitis on the tear function and ocular surface findings.

Onguchi T, Dogru M, Okada N, Kato NA, Tanaka M, Takano Y, Fukagawa K, Shimazaki J, Tsubota K, Fujishima H

Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Dental College, Ichikawa General Hospital, 5-11-13 Sugano, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-8513, Japan. ongucci@yahoo.co.jp

PURPOSE: To investigate the tear and ocular surface findings between controls, children, and adults with atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC). DESIGN: Prospective comparative study. METHODS: Twenty eyes of 10 childhood-onset, 10 eyes of five adult-onset, AKC adult patients, and 12 eyes of six children with infantile-onset AKC, 14 eyes of seven normal adults and seven normal children were recruited. Corneal aesthesiometry, Schirmer test, tear film break-up time (BUT), vital staining, and conjunctival impression cytology were performed. RESULTS: The Schirmer and Rose Bengal scores in childhood-onset adult AKC patients were considerably worse than adult-onset adult AKC patients, pediatric subjects, and the controls (P < .05). The same significant relation was observed in impression cytology parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Ocular surface disease in childhood-onset adult AKC patients was characterized by greater ocular surface epithelial damage. Prolonged inflammation may be important in the evolution and progression of ocular surface disease in patients with longstanding active AKC.

Published 21 February 2006 in Am J Ophthalmol, 141(3): 569-71.
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