Open AccessSystematic approach to managing vernal keratoconjunctivitis in clinical practice: Severity grading system and a treatment algorithm
Author(s) -
Nikhil S Gokhale
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
indian journal of ophthalmology/indian journal of ophthalmology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.542
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1998-3689
pISSN - 0301-4738
DOI - 10.4103/0301-4738.179727
Subject(s) - medicine , grading (engineering) , treatment modality , modalities , therapeutic modalities , vernal keratoconjunctivitis , algorithm , disease , intensive care medicine , dermatology , surgery , physical therapy , pathology , computer science , social science , civil engineering , sociology , engineering
Vernal keratoconjunctivitis is an ocular allergy that is common in the pediatric age group. It is often chronic, severe, and nonresponsive to the available treatment options. Management of these children is difficult and often a dilemma for the practitioner. There is a need to simplify and standardize its management. To achieve this goal, we require a grading system to judge the severity of inflammation and an algorithm to select the appropriate medications. This article provides a simple and practically useful grading system and a stepladder algorithm for systematic treatment of these patients. Use of appropriate treatment modalities can reduce treatment and disease-related complications.