Vernal keratoconjunctivitis

What it is

A rare disorder of the anterior segment of the eye, characterized by a severe recurrent allergic reaction affecting the cornea and the conjunctiva. It presents with red eyes, ocular itching, photophobia, foreign body sensation, mucous discharge, blepharospasm, and blurring of vision. The symptoms are typically bilateral but may be asymmetric. Characteristic signs include conjunctival injection, giant papillae mostly on the upper tarsal conjunctiva (cobblestone appearance), limbal gelatinous infiltrates (Horner-Trantas dots), and variable corneal signs. The condition is more prevalent in hot climates and most commonly affects young boys.

Key facts

Prevalence

>1 / 1000 (Italy)

Age of onset

Childhood

Inheritance

Not applicable

Classified as

Disease

Prevalence figures describe populations, not individuals, and are often estimates from a single study. Where the figure is an incidence or a birth prevalence, it says so.

Signs and symptoms

These ranges are how often a sign appears across everyone diagnosed, not a prediction for one person — most people have some of these and not others. Orphanet also records findings that are specifically absent in this disease; those are in the data but not listed here.

ICD-10 codes

ICD-10 has no distinct code for most rare diseases, so many are filed under the nearest available one. A shared code identifies the group, not this disease — the ORPHAcode above is what identifies it.

Related health topics

Reached through the ICD-10 categories this disease is filed under, so these describe the broader group rather than this disease specifically.

Cross-references