title: [Vernal keratoconjunctivitis in children].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the course of palpebral type of vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) and relation of the number of recurrences per year, to patients age and to estimate the frequency of irreversible corneal transparency changes and visual acuity decrease.
  
  
  METHODS
  There were 34 eyes of 17 children, 13 boys (76.4%) included 2 brothers and 4 girls. The age of patients was from 5 to 14 years, mean 9.1. All patients were hospitalized because of pathological corneal changes. Follow up from 2 to 13 years (mean 8.4). The number of recurrences ranged from 2 to 5 per year and there was not correlation between age of children and frequency of episodes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We have observed punctate keratopathy (79.14% of cases) and corneal ulcers (26.5% of cases). In 25 eyes of 13 patients cryocoagulation and/or excision of giant palpebral papillae were done. Visual acuity ranged from 0.01 to 1.0 and mean value before treatment was 0.879 +/- 0.09 and after 0.884 +/- 0.10. The difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.878).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  (1) The course of VKC is recurrent, the number of recurrences per year does not depend on the age of patients, but is correlated with giant papillae of palpebral conjunctiva presence. (2) Large papillae should be excised, in order to make the healing of cornea quicker. (3) Permanent visual function decreasing is not frequent because partial leucoma is localized at the periphery of cornea.
authors.affiliation: Z Katedry i Kliniki Okuliistyki Dzieciecej Slaskiej Akademii Medycznej w Katowicach.
authors.forename: Bronisława
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Oraszewska-Matuszewska
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pieczara
authors.forename: Elibieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sameochowiec-Donocik
authors.forename: Erita
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Filipek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity