Allergic conjunctivitis in children with asthma, rhinitis and eczema in a secondary outpatient clinic

Abstract

Little evidence is available on the prevalence of allergic conjunctivitis in pediatric populations. The objective of this study was to assess the cumulative prevalence of allergic conjunctivitis in children with rhinitis, asthma and eczema in a secondary pediatric outpatient clinic. Children aged 5-15 yr referred during the period of 2002-2004 in whom allergic conjunctivitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis or eczema was diagnosed were included in a retrospective survey. At referral patient characteristics, history, symptoms, signs and results of type 1 allergy tests were entered into an electronic form. Four hundred and fifty-eight children with a mean age of 9.4 yr were studied. Of 316, 324 and 149 children with rhinitis, asthma or eczema, respectively, 133 (42%), 78 (24%) and 45 (30%) had concomitant allergic conjunctivitis. One hundred and thirty-seven (30%) had allergic conjunctivitis, of whom 133 (97%) also had allergic rhinitis, 77 (56%) asthma and 45 (33%) eczema. One hundred and twenty-five (91%) of the children with allergic conjunctivitis had positive allergy tests to one or more allergens, sensitization to house dust mites being more frequent in chronic allergic conjunctivitis than in acute allergic conjunctivitis (95% vs. 53%; p < 0.01). Sensitization to grass was more frequent in children with acute allergic conjunctivitis (78% vs. 57%; p = 0.03). In a secondary pediatric outpatient clinic allergic conjunctivitis is a frequent co-morbidity to allergic rhinitis and to asthma and eczema. Allergic conjunctivitis need to be included as an important co-morbidity in future guidelines on asthma, rhinitis and eczema management.

Epidemiology of allergic conjunctivitis

“…However, terms such as hay fever or allergic rhinoconjunctivitis have been used and prevalence studies have not been specifically addressed to ocular allergy symptoms. Children with allergic conjunctivitis had other diagnosis in a secondary pediatric outpatient clinic: 97% had allergic rhinitis [13].…”

The epidemiology of ocular and nasal allergy in the United States, 1988-1994

“…One hundred thirty-seven (30%) had allergic conjunctivitis. 12 In Phase III of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood, 13 time trends in the prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms were analyzed. Cross-sectional questionnaire surveys with identical protocols and questionnaires were completed a mean of 7 years apart in 2 age groups comprising 498,083 children.…”

Epidemiology of allergic conjunctivitis

“…In the Phase III ISAAC, a worldwide increase in the prevalence of ARC was observed; the variations were considerable within the test centers, but they were large among the centers and there was no consistent regional pattern [22]. In the 5-to 15-year age group, 30% of children with either asthma, rhinitis or eczema were estimated to suffer from concomitant allergic conjunctivitis [15] ( Table 1).…”