Cryosurgery in the management of vernal keratoconjunctivitis

Forty-eight eyes of patients with bulbar vernal conjunctivitis and eight eyes of patients with severe tarsal vernal conjunctivitis were treated with cryopexy. A pointed probe with tip temperature of -35 degrees C was used for the bulbar application, while a round-ended probe with tip temperature of -70 degrees C was used for tarsal application after excision of large cobblestones. Immediate results were highly impressive, while observation over 36 months in some of the patients showed long-term relief or very marked reduction in frequency of exacerbations. Cryotherapy avoids the long-term use of topical corticosteroids in vernal conjunctivitis and is preferable in our largely illiterate population. This study shows that the method is effective and safe.