title: Allergic conjunctivitis as a risk factor for laser in situ keratomileusis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the effect of allergic conjunctivitis (AC) on the outcome of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in myopic eyes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Minamiaoyama Eye Clinic, Tokyo, Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who had LASIK were divided into 2 groups: those with AC (84 eyes of 49 patients; the allergic group) and those without AC (140 eyes of 77 patients; the nonallergic group). Allergic conjunctivitis was diagnosed clinically by symptoms of eye itching and clinical findings such as papillary proliferation on the tarsal conjunctiva. Preoperative and postoperative uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and refraction and intraoperative and postoperative complications were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in UCVA and refraction between the 2 groups. No complications were observed in the allergic group. Intraoperative conjunctival chemosis (3 eyes of 2 patients) and a postoperative epithelial defect that resulted in epithelial ingrowth (1 eye) were observed in the nonallergic group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that AC is not a risk factor for LASIK.
authors.affiliation: Minamiaoyama Eye Clinic, Tokyo, Japan. naokato@bc.iij4u.or.jp
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Asano-Kato
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Toda
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hori-Komai
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsubota
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000150:complications*; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; D008297:Male; D009216:Myopia / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D014792:Visual Acuity