Efficacy of a Cationic Emulsion of Cyclosporine in Moderate Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy of cyclosporine A 0.1% cationic emulsion (CsA CE) eye drops 4 times a day in pediatric patients affected by a moderate form of vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC). METHODS: This was a prospective study of pediatric patients, aged 5-16 years, with an active moderate form of VKC who were poor responders to topical antihistamines treatment and were treated 4 times a day with CsA CE. The clinical signs were graded for analysis as follows: hyperemia, tarsal papillae, and limbal papillae. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients (22 males and 6 females) with a minimum follow-up period of 3 months were included in the analysis. Statistical analysis excluded tarsal papillae because of the very low baseline value. The clinical score of hyperemia and limbal papillae improved from the first evaluation and was maintained over the follow-up. No side effects were noted. CONCLUSION: CsA CE has been proposed as a treatment for severe forms of VKC. This study has shown that administration 4 times a day is also effective in the treatment of moderate forms of VKC in children.

Impact of screen exposure on pediatric vernal Keratoconjunctivitis: a survey during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy.

BACKGROUND: The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak pushed the Italian government to start a strict lockdown, replacing school attendance with long-distance learning. This caused reduced exposure to sunlight but increased exposure to screens. Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a chronic inflammatory ocular condition in which exposure to light plays a cardinal role. We conducted an online survey to evaluate the impact of screen exposure on children with VKC during the COVID-19 lockdown. METHODS: We performed a survey-based observational study, asking patients followed at the Allergology clinics of Meyer Children's University Hospital in Florence and of Policlinico Umberto I in Rome to provide grading on 6 subjective ocular clinical manifestations presented during the lockdown and to give an estimate of their hours/day of screen exposure. RESULTS: Mean scores of signs and symptoms increased homogeneously when studying patients exposed to longer screen time. When comparing scores collected in 2019 to those in 2020, there was not a significant reduction in clinical manifestations, although the situation differed between the two centers due to geographical differences in sunlight exposure. CONCLUSION: During the lockdown, there was a reduction in sunlight exposure but conversely an increase in the time spent in front of screens that correlated with the worsening of VKC signs and symptoms in direct proportion to the hours/day of screen exposure. Our results also showed a statistically significant difference in the relative impact of long-distance learning on VKC clinical manifestations in the different Italian regions.

Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Tacrolimus 0.1% in Severe Pediatric Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of tacrolimus 0.1% eye drops in a large population of pediatric patients affected by a severe form of vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) who responded poorly to cyclosporine eye drops. METHODS: This is a retrospective study based on standardized clinical charts and data collection of consecutive patients affected by severe VKC who responded poorly to cyclosporine eye drops topical treatment but treated with tacrolimus 0.1% eye drops with a follow-up of 18 months. Four clinical signs were graded for analysis: hyperemia, tarsal papillae, giant papillae, and limbal papillae. The blood tests for kidney and liver function and the tacrolimus level were studied. Visits were scheduled at baseline and at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months. Patients received tacrolimus 0.1% eye drops in both eyes 2 times daily. RESULTS: Four hundred thirty-one patients were included. Three hundred twenty-five patients were affected by a seasonal form, whereas the remaining 106 by a perennial form. Statistical analysis on each single score showed a positive relevance (P < 0.001) from baseline to all other visits. No local or systemic complications were recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Tacrolimus has been proposed as a treatment for severe forms of VKC. This study has confirmed the safety and efficacy of tacrolimus 0.1% eye drops in a large pediatric population of patients affected by a severe form of VKC who responded poorly to cyclosporine eye drops.

Tacrolimus vs. cyclosporine eyedrops in severe cyclosporine-resistant vernal keratoconjunctivitis: A randomized, comparative, double-blind, crossover study.

BACKGROUND: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a chronic sight-threatening ocular disease. Topical cyclosporine A (Cyc) has been widely administered as a steroid-sparing drug, although in about 7-10% of cases, it has been ineffective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 0.1% topical tacrolimus (Tcr) in patients with severe VKC who failed to respond to 1% Cyc eyedrops. METHODS: Consecutive patients with severe, Cyc-resistant VKC were enrolled in a double-blind, comparative, crossover (DBCO) trial; all patients were treated with 1% Cyc in one eye and 0.1% Tcr in the other eye for 3 wk. After a washout period of 7 days, patients were instructed to cross over the medications for three additional weeks. Objective ocular score, subjective score, and quality-of-life questionnaires (QoLQ) were collected during the trial. Blood samples were drawn to assess several safety parameters. RESULTS: Thirty patients have been enrolled (mean age 9.05 ± 2.12 yr). In each of the two phases of the DBCO trial, a significant improvement in objective and subjective scores was observed in the eyes treated with 0.1% Tcr (p < 0.001). Likewise, the quality of life significantly improved despite only half the eyes being successfully treated. Serum creatinine and blood parameters were constantly within the normal range, and both blood Cyc and Tcr concentrations remained below the lowest detectable levels. CONCLUSIONS: Topical Tcr is very effective and safe in the short term for patients suffering from severe VKC resistant to topical Cyc.

Increased prevalence of growth hormone deficiency in patients with vernal keratoconjuntivitis; an interesting new association.

INTRODUCTION: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a chronic conjunctivitis that mainly affects children living in temperate areas. The notable difference between genders and VKC's resolution with puberty have persistently suggested a role of hormonal factors in VKC development. OBJECTIVE: To describe six cases of males with VKC and growth hormone deficiency (GHD) reported as a long-term follow-up during rhGH treatment. METHODS: Six consecutive male patients (median age at GHD diagnosis 9.7, range 7.9 to 13.1 years) with VKC, were recruited from July 2005 to July 2013 at the Paediatric Endocrinology Unit of Anna Meyer Children's Hospital in Florence, Italy. In these patients, anthropometric data were collected periodically. In three of these patients, data were collected to near-adult or adult height. RESULTS: Familial history was uneventful for all patients. The target height was normal, ranging from 0.65 standard deviation scores (SDS) to 2.01 SDS. The patients showed a normal birth-weight (from -1.21 to 1.35 SDS) and birth-length (from -0.93 to 1.21 SDS). At GHD diagnosis, all of the patients exhibited demonstrated important growth retardation (from -2.05 to -2.78 SDS). Plasmatic concentrations of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were low (from -1.85 to -3 SDS and from -1.81 to -2.76 SDS, respectively). GH stimulation tests showed classic GHD symptoms in all of the patients. Pubertal onset was normal. All of the patients treated with rhGH responded well to rhGH treatment. Adult height, evaluated in three patients, was in accordance with their target height. CONCLUSIONS: To our current knowledge, we have described for the first time six patients affected by VKC with GH deficiency, in some of whom we performed a long-term follow-up to adult height. Further studies will be needed to establish whether GHD may be a common feature of VKC patients. Nevertheless, it appears to be useful to carefully follow statural growth of VKC patients, while the possibility of a GH deficiency must to be taken into account in the presence of growth failure.

Increased incidence of thyroid dysfunction and autoimmunity in patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis.

Hormones may play a role in the pathophysiology of vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC). An increased incidence of thyroid autoantibodies was recently observed in VKC, although there were no data on thyroid function. Two hundred and eighty-eight patients (202 males, 86 females; range 5.5 to 16.9 years) with VKC were evaluated and compared with 188 normal age- and sex-matched subjects. In all subjects, serum concentrations of free T4, TSH, thyroperoxidase, thyroglobulin, and TSHr autoantibodies were evaluated. In VKC, the family history of thyroid diseases showed no significant differences compared to the controls (9.4 versus 8.6%), whereas the family history of autoimmune diseases was significantly higher (13.2% versus 6.3%; P<0.05). Subclinical hypothyroidism was diagnosed in 6.6% (versus 1.6% of the controls; P<0.05) and overt hypothyroidism in 0.7% (versus 0.0% of the controls; P = NS). Finally, 5.2% of patients were positive for thyroid autoantibodies, which were significantly higher with respect to the controls (0.5%, P<0.05). In the patients positive for thyroid autoantibodies, 80% showed a sonography pattern that suggested autoimmune thyroiditis. Thyroid function and autoimmunity abnormalities are frequently present in children with VKC. Children with VKC should be screened for thyroid function and evaluated for thyroid autoimmunity.

Childhood chronic anterior uveitis associated with vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC): successful treatment with topical tacrolimus. Case series.

Uveitis treatment involves topical corticosteroids along with cycloplegic-mydriatics. Particularly severe cases may require systemic corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs. Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) treatment consists of a brief period of topical corticosteroids and/or cyclosporine. In patients refractory to traditional treatment, the use of 0.1% topical ophtalmic FK- 506 (tacrolimus) ointment has been occasionally reported.This is the first report of the coexistence of uveitis and VKC. The documented response to topical tacrolimus eyedrop of uveitis and VKC is also of interest, in particular since to our knowledge there are no published reports on its clinical use in uveitis.