Clinical grading of vernal keratoconjunctivitis

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Allergology
• Immunology

Background:

• Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a severe bilateral ocular allergy affecting children and young adults.
• Current diagnostic criteria and treatment strategies for VKC are often insufficient, leading to challenges in patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of the clinical features of VKC based on existing literature.
• To propose a novel grading system for VKC severity.
• To discuss treatment options tailored to the proposed clinical grades.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of case series focusing on VKC.
• Analysis of epidemiological, clinical, and immunological features of VKC.
• Evaluation of treatment efficacy and complications.

Main Results:

• Presentation of recent epidemiological data on VKC demographics, clinical presentation, and immunological aspects.
• Discussion on the efficacy and potential complications associated with various VKC treatments.
• Introduction of a new grading system for VKC based on clinical signs and symptoms of ocular surface inflammation.

Conclusions:

• Accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of VKC are challenging due to undefined pathogenesis and diagnostic criteria.
• The proposed grading system aims to standardize VKC classification, facilitating better disease activity assessment and treatment agreement among clinicians and researchers.
• This review synthesizes current knowledge on VKC, offering insights into both established and novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.