title: Prevalence of papillary changes and folliculosis of the palpebral conjunctiva in asymptomatic Chinese children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of papillary changes of the upper palpebral conjunctiva and folliculosis of the lower palpebral conjunctiva in Chinese children with no history of contact lens wear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-nine subjects (aged 6-15 years old) who were interested in a myopia control study were screened for papillary changes and folliculosis of the palpebral conjunctiva. Photodocumentation was performed under white and blue light (after the application of fluorescein) with a yellow filter and the photographs were graded by a group of practitioners according to a pre-set grading scale. Analysis was performed with the subjects divided into groups according to gender and age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 48% of the subjects had clinically significant (≥Grade 3) papillary changes in the upper palpebral conjunctiva. The prevalence of significant folliculosis in the lower lid was about 33%. The prevalence of significant papillary changes and folliculosis were similar between genders. No differences were observed between younger (age≤10 years old) and older (age>10 years old) in papillary changes but younger subjects showed a higher prevalence of folliculosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalences of clinically significant papillary changes and folliculosis of unknown aetiology are high in Chinese children.
authors.affiliation: School of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong. kayin.chan@connect.polyu.hk
authors.forename: Ka Yin
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Ying Yee
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Sin Wan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Swann
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology*; D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003261:Contact Lenses; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies