Viral conjunctivitis is a highly contagious acute conjunctival infection that is usually caused by adenoviruses. Symptoms include irritation, photophobia, and watery discharge. The diagnosis is made clinically, sometimes viral cultures or immunodiagnostic tests are indicated. The infection is self-limiting, but in severe cases, local corticosteroids are sometimes necessary.
Viral conjunctivitis is a highly contagious acute conjunctival infection that is usually caused by adenoviruses. Symptoms include irritation, photophobia, and watery discharge. The diagnosis is made clinically, sometimes viral cultures or immunodiagnostic tests are indicated. The infection is self-limiting, but in severe cases, local corticosteroids are sometimes necessary. Etiology Conjunctivitis may occur in connection with a cold and other systemic viral infections (especially for measles, but also for chicken pox, rubella and mumps). A localized viral conjunctivitis without systemic manifestations is sometimes usually caused by adenoviruses and enteroviruses. The epidemic keratoconjunctivitis is usually caused by adenoviruses of serotypes 5, 8, 11, 13, 19 and 37, and often causes severe conjunctivitis. Pharyngokonjunktivalfieber usually occurs after infection with the serotypes 3, 4 and 7. In Africa and Asia hemorrhagic conjunctivitis cases of acute are heaped (a rare form of conjunctivitis associated with infection by enterovirus type 70) occurred. Symptoms and complaints After an incubation period of 5-12 days initially develop in one eye conjunctival hyperemia, watery discharge and eye irritation, which spread quickly to the other eye. On the palpebral conjunctiva is follicles can form. Often a preauricular lymph node is enlarged and painful. Many patients had previously contact with someone with conjunctivitis, a short previous infection of the upper respiratory tract, or both. Viral conjunctivitis DR P. MARAZZI / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY var model = {thumbnailUrl: ‘/-/media/manual/professional/images/m1550250-viral-conjunctivitis-science-photo-library-high_de.jpg?la=de&thn=0&mw= 350 ‘, imageUrl’ /-/media/manual/professional/images/m1550250-viral-conjunctivitis-science-photo-library-high_de.jpg?la=de&thn=0 ‘, title:’ Viral conjunctivitis ‘description’ u003Ca id = “v37894185 ” class = “”anchor “” u003e u003c / a u003e u003cdiv class = “”para “” u003e u003cp u003eDiese illustration shows a bilateral conjunctival erythema (more on the left eye) in a patient with viral conjunctivitis. Discharge may also be present