This article is about inflammation commonly associated with infections. For irritation of the eyes due to dryness (keratoconjunctivitis sicca), see
Dry eye syndrome.
Keratoconjunctivitis is a term used to describe
inflammation of both the
cornea (the clear, front part of the eye) and the
conjunctiva (the thin, transparent membrane covering the white part of the eye and lining the inside of the eyelids). This condition can have various causes, and its presentation may vary depending on the underlying factors.
There are several potential causes of the inflammation:
Keratoconjunctivitis sicca is used when the inflammation is due to dryness. ("Sicca" means "dryness" in medical contexts.) It occurs with 20% of rheumatoid arthritis patients.
"Keratoconjunctivitis photoelectrica" (
arc eye) means inflammation caused by photoelectric UV light. It is a type of
ultraviolet keratitis. Such UV exposure can be caused by arc
welding without wearing protective eye glass, or by high altitude exposure from sunlight reflected from snow ("
snow blindness"). The inflammation will only appear after about 6 to 12 hours. It can be treated by rest, as the inflammation usually heals after 24–48 hours. Proper eye protection should be worn to prevent keratoconjunctivitis photoelectrica.
Viral keratoconjunctivitis
Keratoconjunctivitis is frequently caused by viral infections in and around the eyes. A particularly common cause of this is the
herpes simplex virus. In some people, the infection may become
chronic and keratoconjunctivitis may present during flare-ups of variable frequency. Over time, these can result in the corneas becoming progressively more opaque, leading to
blindness.[2]