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Tacrolimus ointment 0.03% for treatment of refractory childhood phlyctenular keratoconjunctivitis

George D Kymionis1, Vardhaman P Kankariya, Georgios A Kontadakis

  • 1Institute of Vision and Optics, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece. kymionis@med.uoc.gr

Cornea
|April 25, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Topical tacrolimus 0.03% ointment effectively treated severe phlyctenular keratoconjunctivitis in two children. This treatment resolved corneal infiltrates and neovascularization without side effects.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Phlyctenular keratoconjunctivitis is an inflammatory eye condition often requiring intensive treatment.
  • Refractory cases may not respond to conventional therapies like corticosteroids and antibiotics.

Observation:

  • Two pediatric patients with severe, refractory phlyctenular keratoconjunctivitis presented with corneal infiltrates, neovascularization, and thinning.
  • Previous treatment with topical corticosteroids and oral erythromycin provided no relief.

Findings:

  • Addition of topical tacrolimus 0.03% ointment to existing therapy led to rapid symptom and sign improvement within one week.
  • Complete resolution of corneal pathology was observed after three weeks of treatment.
  • Tacrolimus was successfully tapered, and no adverse effects were reported.

Implications:

  • Topical tacrolimus 0.03% ointment shows promise as a safe and effective treatment for severe, refractory phlyctenular keratoconjunctivitis.
  • This immunomodulatory agent may offer an alternative for patients unresponsive to standard care.
  • Further studies are warranted to confirm efficacy and safety in a larger cohort.
Abstract

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