Correlation between corneal involvement and anterior chamber flare in epidemic keratoconjunctivitis

Purpose: To investigate the correlation between corneal involvement and anterior chamber flare using a laser flare meter in eyes with epidemic keratoconjunctivitis. Methods: A total of 82 eyes of 50 (32 female and 18 male) consecutive patients with epidemic keratoconjuctivitis were evaluated. Besides complete opthalmic examination, anterior chamber flare measurements with laser flare meter (FM 600, Kowa, Kowa Company Ltd., Nagoya, Japan) were performed. The relationship between corneal involvement, subepithelial deposits, and anterior chamber flare was assessed. Results: The mean age of the patients was 36.32 ± 18.77 (range 4–75) years and the mean duration of complaints was 5.28 ± 2.65 (range 1–12) days. The biomicroscopic findings were conjunctival hyperemia in 82 (100%), follicular reaction in 66 (80.5%), eyelid edema in 56 (68.3%), punctate epitheliopathy in 38 (46.3%), and subepithelial deposits in 36 (43.9%) eyes. The mean flare value was 17.35 ± 12.62 (range 2.0–45.0) photons/ms. Flare measurements were significantly higher in eyes with subepithelial deposits (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Subepithelial deposits seem to occur in eyes with higher anterior chamber inflammation in epidemic keratoconjunctivitis. The laser flare meter might be a useful tool to predict subepithelial deposit development in these patients.