Epidemiology of pseudomembranous conjunctivitis in a tertiary hospital: A 2-year retrospective study

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the incidence, duration, and complication rate of patients with a clinical diagnosis of pseudomembranous viral conjunctivitis. Methods: A retrospective observational study is performed compiling the data of patients diagnosed as pseudomembranous conjunctivitis at the hospital’s emergency department from June 2016 to May 2018. Demographic variables, duration of symptoms, and follow-up until resolution of the pseudomembranes and associated complications are collected. Results: The incidence rate of pseudomembranous conjunctivitis is 3.47/10,000 people-year and 0.123% of emergency department consultations. The incidence of pseudomembranous conjunctivitis is approximately 20% of the total adenoviral conjunctivitis, with similar peak incidence rates and annual distribution. The presence of pseudomembranes shows a mean duration of 7.86 days. In this series of pseudomembranous patients, 38.4% had at least one of the following complications: 16.7% subepithelial infiltrates (IC 13.0%–21.1%), 20.81% corneal erosions (SE 0.0218, IC 16.7%–25.5%), 3.5% filamentary keratitis (SE 0.010, IC 1.8%–6.0%), and 6.1% subtarsal fibrosis (SE 0.128, IC 3.8%–9.1%). Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the incidence and rate of complications of pseudomembranous conjunctivitis. Complications occurred in almost 4 out of 10 patients. The mean duration of the follow-up in the ED was higher in patients with any complication compared with non-complicated patients. The high complication rate makes a closely follow-up advisable, until pseudomembrane resolution, to assess possible complications and symptomatic treatment.

Bilateral Moraxella Keratitis in a Healthy Person after an Episode of Conjunctivitis: A Case Report

“…According to a recent study, pseudomembranous conjunctivitis was associated with subepithelial infiltrates (16.7%), corneal erosion (20.8%) and filamentary keratitis (3.5%). 9 Corneal affection of viral conjunctivitis could have been complicated by MK in our case. Question can arise whether initial conjunctivitis was bacterial (Moraxella) rather than viral.…”

Pseudomembranous conjunctivitis caused by Escherichia coli in a newborn

“…As a result, pseudomembranous conjunctivitis does not bleed when removed. 4 Here, we report a case of pseudomembranous conjunctivitis from Escherichia coli which, to our knowledge, has not been reported in relevant literature.…”

The Relationship between Clinical Findings and Viral Load in Adenoviral Keratoconjunctivitis

“…Subepithelial infiltrates are believed to represent a cellular immune reaction against viral antigens, deposited in the corneal stroma (22). Histopathologic evaluation of SEIs has shown that they are composed of lymphocytes, histiocytes, and fibroblasts accompanied by a disruption of the collagen Ia, and are thought to be the result of delayed immune response to viral antigens in the corneal stroma (23).…”