title: Atopic keratoconjunctivitis: long-term results of medical treatment and penetrating keratoplasty.
abstract: To evaluate the long-term outcomes of medically or surgically treated patients with atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC).
  Charts of 16 patients with AKC (32 eyes) observed between 1996 and 2013 were reviewed retrospectively. Outcome measures included demographic features, follow-up duration, and biomicroscopic findings at the first and most recent visits. The corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA; in decimal units) was evaluated at the initial visit and the 1-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up visits.
  In the medically treated group (25 eyes of 15 patients), the median follow-up duration was 3 (range, 1-9) years, and the median CDVA values were 0.01 (0.001-1.0) at the first visit and 0.01 (0.001-0.8) at the most recent visit (p=0.916). In the penetrating keratoplasty (PK) group (7 eyes of 6 patients), the median follow-up duration was 7 years (range, 1-11), and the median CDVA increased from 0.01 (0.001-0.01) to 0.2 (0.001-0.7) postoperatively (p=0.043).
  Whereas most AKC patients maintained a useful CDVA with medical treatment, PK may be required in some cases. Despite the frequent occurrence of complications, PK can significantly improve the CDVA.
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmolgy Clinic, Ministry of Health Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koçluk
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmolgy Clinic, Ministry of Health Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zuleyha
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yalniz-Akkaya
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmolgy Clinic, Ministry of Health Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayşe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burcu
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmolgy Clinic, Ministry of Health Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Firdevs
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Örnek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007637:Keratoconjunctivitis / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult