Sensitization and Clinical Characteristics of Congolese Children with Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis in Kinshasa.

BACKGROUND: Data on the sensitization pattern and clinical characteristics of pediatric vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) are scary in Central Africa. This chronic form of allergic conjunctivitis affects the quality of school life and work productivity. There is no study that shows the breadth of vernal keratoconjunctivitis in our setting. PURPOSE: To describe the clinical characteristics of vernal keratoconjunctivitis in Kinshasa, to evaluate the sensitization profile and associated factors.A total of 400 children with vernal keratoconjunctivitis underwent a clinical examination and a skin prick test (SPT) for 10 allergens. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Blomia tropicalis and cockroach were the most common allergens in 52, 1 %, 18, 8% and 13% respectively among sensitized children and 66, 4% showed polysensitization. RESULTS: The main symptoms were itchy eyes 45%, brownish discoloration conjunctiva 17%, red eyes 12, 2%, eyelids rubbing 11, 5%, tearing 8, 7% and photophobia 5, 5%.The limbic form was predominant with 54%, followed by palpebral form 26% and mixed form 20%. The most common complications were superficial punctate keratitis 17, 2%, shield ulcer 1, 5%, corneal plaque 1, 3% and corneal erosion 1%. CONCLUSION: This study outlines that 34, 5% of children attending the outpatient Ophthalmology Department in two hospitals of Kinshasa for vernal keratoconjunctivitis disease had a positive skin prick test to at least one allergen, in particular for Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Blomia tropicalis and cockroach.

Clinical and Serological Characteristics of Ocular Toxoplasmosis in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

PURPOSE: To describe demographic data, clinical features, and serological profiles in a cohort of Congolese patients with ocular toxoplasmosis (OT). METHOD: Cross-sectional study, carried out between March 2020 and July 2021 in two ophthalmic clinics in Kinshasa. RESULTS: The study comprised 95 participants with OT. Fifty-three patients were male (55.8%). The mean age at presentation was 35.6 ± 14.1 years (range 8-69 years); 71 had active OT (74.7%), among them, 33 had primary OT (46.5%), and 38 had recurrences (53.5%). At presentation, 51 patients (53.7%) had visual impairment (VA < 6/18). Retinochoroidal lesions were located in the central retina in 60 patients (63.1%). Patients with primary OT tend to have higher IgG levels than those with recurrent OT (P = .01). CONCLUSION: We report the largest cohort of patients with OT in sub-Saharan Africa. In our setting, most patients had recurrent OT with multiple, extensive, and central retinochoroidal lesions.