Unexplained keratoconjunctivitis can be indicator of child abuse

Unexplained keratoconjunctivitis in a child, especially in the lower half of the conjunctiva, may be an indicator of child abuse, according to the authors of a case series. This diagnosis alone, however, cannot be taken as pathognomonic of abuse, the authors noted.

Tuyen Ong, MRCOphth, and colleagues in London described the cases of two unrelated infants who presented with bilateral, asymmetric, external eye disease that affected the lower half of the cornea and conjunctiva. One of the four eyes had a perforation. All eyes recovered quickly while the infants were hospitalized, without specific treatment. Additional studies of the infants revealed signs of child abuse, the researchers reported.

The case series is published in the January issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology.