title: Oral steroid therapy as an adjuvant treatment for severe epidemic keratoconjunctivitis in patients younger than 3 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the therapeutic effect of oral steroids given to patients younger than 3 years with epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) accompanied by severe eyelid edema and inflammatory ptosis, in whom eye drops were not feasible.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 9 patients treated for EKC in local clinics whose condition failed to improve due to severe eyelid swelling together with difficulties in application of eye drops and pseudomembrane removal. We analyzed the extent of eyelid swelling, corneal damage, follicles, chemosis, and pseudomembrane formation in these patients before and after oral corticosteroid therapy in collaboration with the pediatrics department.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After a mean of 1.8 ± 0.7 days of oral steroid treatment, eyelid edema, corneal damage, conjunctival injection, follicles, and chemosis improved in all patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral steroids are an effective adjuvant treatment for EKC in patients younger than 3 years in whom eye drops could not be administered frequently due to severe eyelid edema.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Kwon
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Young-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Su-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000258:Adenovirus Infections, Human / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D000284:Administration, Oral; D001763:Blepharoptosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015715:Corneal Edema / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D005143:Eyelids / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007637:Keratoconjunctivitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011239:Prednisolone