Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis Presenting with Acute Hydrops

1. Azlindarita A.M.Abdullah^1,2
2. Visvaraja Subrayan¹
3. Fadzlina AR¹

¹University Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia
²Faculty of Medicine, University Technology MARA, Malaysia

Purpose: To report a case of vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) presenting with acute hydrops

Method: Interventional Case Report

Results: A 10 year old boy presented with sudden loss of vision in the right eye for one day duration associated with tearing & redness. He has a history of untreated allergic conjunctivitis with habitual rubbing of his right eye. He also has a history of allergic rhinitis but no family history of atopy. His vision was perception of hand movement on the right eye & 6/6 on the left eye. Right eye examination revealed numerous papillae in upper & lower lids,injected conjunctiva, acute hydrops at the centre of the cornea & Munson's sign positive. The left eye was normal with no sign of keratoconus. As visual acuity remained poor due to corneal opacity, patient underwent right penetrating keratoplasty(PK). Six months after the PK, patient's best corrected vision was 6/18.Symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis resolved completely one year after initial presentation.

Conclusion: Symptoms of VKC with eye rubbing is common amongst atopic patients. Without appropriate treatment, it can lead to severe complications such as keratoconus requiring surgical intervention.