Avoid Further Transmission

As far as the diagnosis is concerned, Wollensak (1965) said that infants and toddler—in contrast to adolescents and adults—often show signs of general illness, such as a raised temperature and fatigue. Conjunctival pseudomembranes may also occur in such children (1).

Regional (mostly preauricular) lymph nodes are palpable in 80–90% of cases in the initial days of the conjunctivitis (1).

Early-stage keratoconjunctivitis in adults is characterized by crimson-red and edematous, velvety appearing swelling of the plica semilunaris and the caruncle (1).

Typically, epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) does not lead to recurrence. Conjunctival hemorrhages of different extents are not rare in adenovirus infection. They are, however, not pathognomonic, since the rarer pneumococcal conjunctivitis can also cause local hemorrhages. Important diagnostic tools that are recommended in the early stages include Giemsa staining of conjunctival scrapings and a finding of a lymphocytic inflammation (3).

Occasionally, the clinical symptoms of EKC may mask herpes conjunctivitis (3). Since no causal treatment is known so far, the symptoms should be alleviated by using artificial tears, eye drops with unspecific effects for humidification of the eye (3). W Manz (2) mentioned cold compresses to alleviate pain, among others. In order to prevent further transmission, the recommended hygiene measures, especially in household settings, include strict separation of washing utensils, such as soap or towels from those of other residents.

DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.2012.0148a

Prof. Dr. med. Dieter Schmidt

University Medical Center Freiburg, Germany
Dieter.Schmidt@uniklinik-freiburg.de

Conflict of interest statement

The author declares that no conflict of interest exists.