Diagnosis and Management of Allergic Conjunctivitis

AbstractPurpose of the reviewThe purpose of this review is to define the classification, diagnosis, and management in adults and children with allergic conjunctivitis with emphasis on recent findings.Recent findingsCurrent literature divides allergic conjunctivitis according to severity and frequency, facilitating its diagnosis, study, and treatment choices. Novel pharmacological therapies aim at inhibiting inflammatory pathways at a specific molecular level and include selective glucocorticoid receptor agonists, kinase inhibitors, and IL-1 receptor antagonists.SummaryOcular allergies are a group of heterogeneous diseases with varied immunological mechanisms and clinical presentation. Allergic conjunctivitis is an immune-mediated type I hypersensitivity disorder of the eye ’s surface. Clinical presentation is characterized by bilateral ocular itching, conjunctival erythema, and ocular edema. Diagnosis is fundamentally clinical and should be supported by evidence of an IgE-mediated mechanism using skin prick tests and/or serum antigen-specific IgE. Treatment encompas ses non-pharmacological and pharmacological approaches. The preferred pharmacological medications are topical dual-acting agents, which have both local antihistamine and mast cell stabilizing properties.

Source: Current Treatment Options in Allergy - April 27, 2018 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research