Management of a patient with viral conjunctivitis on an outpatient basis: a case of acute viral conjunctivitis in a patient with hay fever

Abstract

Conjunctivitis accounts for 33% of all eye diseases. Conjunctivitis, or inflammation of the conjunctiva, is one of its most common diseases. Regardless of the etiology, the clinical manifestations are approximately the same. Patients come to the clinics with complaints of photophobia, a feeling of a foreign body, red eye, itching, pain, lacrimation, hyperemia and swelling of the eyelids. The first goal of an ophthalmologist is to differentiate between viral and bacterial conjunctivitis. The second stage is to conduct a detailed differential analysis between nosologies. To solve these problems, the doctor needs to conduct a detailed collection of complaints and anamnesis, conducting a detailed biomicroscopy of the anterior segment of the eye. Viral eye diseases are a serious medical and social problem. Viruses are one of the most common causes of infection of the outer structures of the eye with a wide range of possible manifestations - from mild transient conjunctivitis to more serious conditions in which damage to the conjunctiva and cornea can lead to scarring, which in some cases leads to blindness. Pathogens such as adenovirus, picornavirus, herpes simplex virus and herpes zoster can cause isolated conjunctivitis, but they often also affect the cornea and eyelids. In recent years, there has been an increase in the prevalence of adenoviral conjunctivitis. The disease has a high frequency of occurrence and affects all age groups The increase in morbidity occurs in the autumn-spring period, when viral contagiousness is increased. In clinical practice, for local therapy of diseases such as viral (adenoviral and herpetic) conjunctivitis, keratitis, keratoconjunctivitis, uveitis, interferon preparations are used with high efficiency.

Keywords

• eye diseases
• red eye
• itching
• pain
• conjunctivitis
• adenoviral conjunctivitis