Allergic Conjunctivitis

Interest in allergic conjunctivitis (AC), isolated or associated to allergic rhinitis, has increased in recent years due to its high and growing prevalence, the important healthcare costs generated by the disease, and its impact upon patient quality of life. A review is made of the immunopathological mechanisms of AC, its diagnosis and the differential diagnosis with other ophthalmological allergic disorders. The current management of AC is based on minimizing contact of the causal allergen with the conjunctiva using a series of protective measures, and on controlling the symptoms produced by the allergic inflammatory process. A review is made of the different drug groups that can be used for the treatment of the symptoms, and of the role of specific allergen-based immunotherapy in the management of AC. Lastly, a review is made of the methodology used in performing conjunctival provocation tests, which are useful and necessary in some cases in order to establish the diagnosis, for assessing treatment response, and for investigating the physiopathological mechanisms underlying the conjunctival allergic inflammatory response.