[Xerosis caused by abuse of vasoconstrictor eye drops: apropos of a case]

This is the case of a 63 year old patient with chronic conjunctivitis on chronic local phenylephrine instillation for the last 13 years. We have observed that the protracted use of vasoconstrictor eyedrops can induce conjunctival xerosis and that its simple withdrawal can result in marked symptomatic improvement leaving behind only degenerative cicatricial changes.