Eye Infections

Eye Infections

·        Viral Infections:

o   Adenovirus types 8 (epidemic) and 3 and 7 (sporadic). Conjunctivitis with pre-auricular lymph node hyperplasia. Over about a week get small white spots (WBC accumulations) just below the surface of the cornea

o   HSV:

§  Gives Herpes Simplex Keratitis.

§  Dendritic ulceration with neovascularisation. Chronic inflammation and scarring. May lead to small white vesicles around the eye.

§  Viewed with fluorescein drops under cobalt light (stains where there is no epithelium)

§  Branching pattern Þ Herpes Simplex Virus. Never give steroids: ® worse infection ® permanent damage

·        Bacterial:  Usually puss.  Always bilateral:

o   Standard bacterial conjunctivitis: treatment chloremphenicol eye drops

o   Trachoma: Due to Chlamydia. Commonest cause of blindness in the tropics. Less common than other causes in NZ. Chronic. Suspect if no response to topical antibiotics. Initially the conjunctival epithelium is infected ® scarring of the eye lid ® abrasion of cornea ® over years get panus (fibrovascular layer) over the cornea

o   Gonorrhoea: ­pre-auricular nodes