title: Allergic conjunctivitis: the evolution of therapeutic options.
abstract: The eye has become the target of intense pharmacologic development because it represents one of the most active sites of allergic inflammation, due to it having no mechanical barrier to prevent the impact of allergens such as pollen on its surface. Over the past 20 years, we have witnessed an astonishing growth in therapeutic advances, ranging essentially from derivatives of simple aspirin to various newly developed biological immunomodulatory agents, using implantable drug delivery devices that exceed the safety and efficacy of those available for other organ systems and resorting to advanced surgical techniques for the correction of sight-threatening, disease-related complications. Overall, with the expanding knowledge base, the intricacy of ocular inflammation appears to be becoming ever more manageable and the clinical allergist/immunologist has an increasing role in the treatment outcomes of patients with anterior inflammatory disorders of the ocular surface primarily allergic conjunctivitis but also including dry eye syndromes.
authors.affiliation: Rutgers University, Center for Environmental Prediction, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Springfield, New Jersey, USA. bielory@envsci.Rutgers.edu
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bielory
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000266:history* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000266:history*; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000266:history*; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000266:history; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D014663:Nasal Decongestants / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011058:Pollen / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists; D014663:Nasal Decongestants; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions