Clinical characteristics of patients with conjunctivochalasis

Abstract

Ozlem Balci Ophthalmology Department, Kolan Hospitalium Group, Istanbul, Turkey Purpose: To evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients with conjunctivochalasis (CCh). Methods and materials: This retrospective study enrolled 30 subjects diagnosed with conjunctivochalasis. Complete ophthalmic examination, including visual acuity assessment, slit-lamp examination, applanation tonometry, dilated funduscopy, tear break-up time, Schirmer 1 test, and fluorescein staining were performed in all patients. Age, sex, laterality, ocular history, symptoms, and clinical findings were recorded. Results: The study included 50 eyes from 30 cases. Ages ranged from 45 to 80 years, with a mean age of 65±10 years. CChs grading were as follows: 30 (60%) eyes with grade 1 CCh; 15 (30%) eyes with grade 2 CCh; and five (10%) eyes with grade 3 CCh. CCh was located in the inferior bulbar conjunctiva in 45 (90%) eyes, and in the remaining five (10%) CCh was located in the superior bulbar conjunctiva. Ten (33.3%) patients had no symptoms. Dryness, eye pain, redness, blurry vision, tired eye feeling, and epiphora were the symptoms encountered in the remaining twenty (63.6%) patients. Altered tear meniscus was noted in all cases. The mean tear break-up time was 7.6 seconds. The mean Schirmer 1 test score was 7 mm. Pinguecula was found in ten patients. Conclusion: Dryness, eye pain, redness, blurry vision, and epiphora were the main symptoms in patients with CCh. Dryness, eye pain, and blurry vision were worsened during downgaze and blinking. So CCh should be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis of chronic ocular irritation and epiphora. Keywords: ocular irritation, epiphora, dryness, eye pain, blurry vision