title: Conjunctival in vivo confocal scanning laser microscopy in patients with atopic keratoconjunctivitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the morphological alterations of the conjunctiva in atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC) using the new generation Heidelberg Retina Tomograph II (HRT II)/Rostock Cornea Module confocal microscope in a prospective controlled study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen eyes from AKC patients (eight males, mean age: 20.3+/-5.9 years) were treated with 0.05% topical cyclosporine A (CsA) in addition to topical steroid and anti-allergic eye drops and 12 eyes from patients with AKC were treated using topical steroids and anti-allergic drops (six males, mean age: 22.2+/-10.0 year). These two groups, as well as 14 eyes from normal subjects (six males, one female, average age 30.4+/-6.8 years) were studied. All subjects underwent corneal sensitivity measurements, the Schirmer test, tear film break-up time (BUT), fluorescein, Rose Bengal staining of the ocular surface, and confocal laser scanning microscopy of the tarsal palpebral conjunctiva. The density of conjunctival inflammatory infiltrates was calculated. Morphological characteristics of the papillary lesions were also studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Corneal sensitivity, tear stability, and vital staining scores were significantly worse in patients with AKC compared to control subjects (p<0.01). Eyes of AKC patients using CsA showed a significantly lower density of inflammatory infiltrates compared to eyes on topical steroid and anti-allergic drops. Conjunctival inflammatory cell density showed a negative correlation with tear stability and corneal sensitivity and a positive correlation with the vital staining scores. Papillary lesions revealed remarkable fibrosis in patients using CsA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Confocal scanning laser microscopy was an efficient and a noninvasive tool for the quantitative assessment of the conjunctival inflammation and evaluation of pathological alterations in the papillary lesions and their relation to the ocular surface disease in patients with AKC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yiqian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Enrique Sato
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Adan
authors.forename: Yukihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dogru
authors.forename: Kazumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukagawa
authors.forename: Yoji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsubota
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujishima
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002452:Cell Count; D002648:Child; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology*; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000473:pathology*; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D007637:Keratoconjunctivitis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013666:Tears / Q000502:physiology