Follicular Conjunctivitis

Clinical Features

• May present as an acute or chronic disease
• Symptoms: hyperemia, chemosis, watery discharge, photophobia and periorbital pain.
• Signs:
  • The follicles appear as gray-white, round to oval elevations which measuring between 0.5 to 1.5 mm in diameter
  • Smaller follicles may produce a slightly irregular and velvety appearance
  • Follicles can be seen in the inferior and superior tarsal conjunctiva, and less often, on bulbar or limbal conjunctiva 
• Acute follicular conjunctivitis is usually associated with viral (epidemic keratoconjunctivitis, Herpes zoster keratoconjunctivitis, infectious mononucleosis, Epstein-Barr virus infection) or chlamydial infections (Inclusion conjunctivitis), while chronic disease may be caused by chronic chlamydial infection (trachoma, lymphogranuloma venereum) or as a toxic or reactive inflammaytroy response to topical medications and molluscum contagiosum infection.
• Treatment is directed to the causative agents.