Direct immunofluorescence and scraping conjunctival cytology in the study of 912 patients affected by microfollicular conjunctivitis.

ABSTRACT

912 patients affected by microfollicular conjunctivitis were submitted to a scraping conjunctival cytology before taking specimens for direct immunofluorescence. 264 patients proved to be positive to the direct immunofluorescence test for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT). In all cases the infection turned out to be bilateral with different degrees of positivity between one eye and the other. In 43 patients out of the 264 positive ones, the cytological examination showed the presence of eosinophils in both eyes. The presence of eosinophils poses the problem of a certain allergizing power of Chlamydia and of the possibility that the CT infection might easily develop in subjects with a preexistent allergic conjunctivitis.