
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Allergic conjunctivitis laboratory findings
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Allergic conjunctivitis is usually a clinical diagnosis. Laboratory tests are primarily supportive. They may help in differentiating intrinsic and extrinsic forms of the condition and thus, guide the treatment.
Laboratory findings
Laboratory findings
- Intradermal injections of individual allergens are administered to detect sensitivity[1].
- It is a highly sensitive test[2].
- The result is considered positive when the resulting wheal is at least 3 mm larger than the negative control. Systemic reactions are rare[3].
IgE estimation
In-vitro tests to detect IgE antibodies to specific allergens are widely used[4] if skin testing is indicated but not advised such as[5]:
- The patient cannot discontinue antihistaminic medications
- Ambiguous results (e.g., presence of dermatographism)
- To complement the results of previous skin testing.
Conjunctival allergen challenge
- It involves instillation of an allergen on the conjunctiva of the affected eye and a control solution in the other[6].
- More common in research settings to test novel treatments or to compare existing therapies[5].
- Clinically helpful to identify local allergies in suspect patients but with negative or discordant skin prick testing and serum specific IgE[7] . *Useful to assess the relationship between symptoms and exposure in polysensitized patients and the response to initiated therapy[7].
References
References
- ↑ La Rosa M, Lionetti E, Reibaldi M, Russo A, Longo A, Leonardi S; et al. (2013). “Allergic conjunctivitis: a comprehensive review of the literature”. Ital J Pediatr. 39: 18. doi:10.1186/1824-7288-39-18. PMC 3640929. PMID 23497516.
- ↑ Bernstein IL, Li JT, Bernstein DI, Hamilton R, Spector SL, Tan R; et al. (2008). “Allergy diagnostic testing: an updated practice parameter”. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 100 (3 Suppl 3): S1–148. doi:10.1016/s1081-1206(10)60305-5. PMID 18431959.
- ↑ Wilson AM, Orr LC, Sims EJ, Lipworth BJ (2001). “Effects of monotherapy with intra-nasal corticosteroid or combined oral histamine and leukotriene receptor antagonists in seasonal allergic rhinitis”. Clin Exp Allergy. 31 (1): 61–8. PMID 11167952.
- ↑ Arasi S, Corsello G, Villani A, Pajno GB (2018). “The future outlook on allergen immunotherapy in children: 2018 and beyond”. Ital J Pediatr. 44 (1): 80. doi:10.1186/s13052-018-0519-4. PMC 6042356. PMID 29996875.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Dupuis P, Prokopich CL, Hynes A, Kim H (2020). “A contemporary look at allergic conjunctivitis”. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 16: 5. doi:10.1186/s13223-020-0403-9. PMC 6975089 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 31993069. - ↑ Fauquert JL, Jedrzejczak-Czechowicz M, Rondon C, Calder V, Silva D, Kvenshagen BK; et al. (2017). “Conjunctival allergen provocation test : guidelines for daily practice”. Allergy. 72 (1): 43–54. doi:10.1111/all.12986. PMID 27430124.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Sánchez-Hernández MC, Montero J, Rondon C, Benitez del Castillo JM, Velázquez E, Herreras JM; et al. (2015). “Consensus document on allergic conjunctivitis (DECA)”. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 25 (2): 94–106. PMID 25997302.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sujaya Chattopadhyay, M.D.[2]
