ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To reveal clinical presentations of chlamydial conjunctivitis in contact lens wearers as well as to evaluate the clinical and microbiological efficacy of oral azithromycin in the treatment of this condition. METHODS: Twenty contact lens users with chlamydial conjunctivitis were included in this retrospective study. Chlamydial infection was diagnosed by isolation of Chlamydia trachomatis in cell culture of conjunctival scrapings. All patients were treated with a single 1 g oral dose of azithromycin. Follow-up clinical and microbiological examinations were performed 1 month after treatment. RESULTS: All patients suffered from some ocular symptoms such as itching, burning, tearing, and nonspecific irritation, but none had apparent conjunctival injection or any conjunctival discharge. The majority (90%) had bilateral complaints. Mild follicular reaction, limited to the lateral part of lower fornices, was present in 17 patients; the remaining patients had normal biomicroscopical findings. Four weeks following the single azithromycin dose, C. trachomatiswas eradicated in all patients and 17 (85%) were free of symptoms. CONCLUSION: Chlamydial infection should be considered more frequently in differential diagnosis of symptomatic contact lens wearers. Azithromycin is the most promising agent for the treatment of chlamydial conjunctivitis due to its excellent bacteriological efficacy and very convenient single dose administration.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Azithromycin/therapeutic use , Chlamydia Infections/drug therapy , Chlamydia trachomatis/isolation & purification , Conjunctivitis, Bacterial/drug therapy , Contact Lenses/adverse effects , Adolescent , Adult , Chlamydia Infections/diagnosis , Chlamydia Infections/etiology , Conjunctiva/microbiology , Conjunctivitis, Bacterial/diagnosis , Conjunctivitis, Bacterial/etiology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
Dry eye, due to its impaired function of tear film becomes more susceptible to all kinds of airborne allergens. Due to air pollution this is more marked in urban areas, and is compounded by the modern way of life. There are various standard topical medications which alleviate allergic reaction of the eye, but many of them must be administered with caution and only on short term due to their potentially hazardous side effects. The purpose of this work is to assess the efficacy of lodoxamide, a new antiallergic medication for topical use, whose advantage is low or absent risk of adverse side effects, in alleviating local allergic reactions of the eye in patients with dry eye. Research has shown that, compared to treatment with eye lubricants alone (artificial tears), treatment with artificial tears combined with lodoxamide has resulted in more marked decrease in the signs of inflammation, and to the lesser extent to the reduction of the symptoms as well.
