Acute Conjunctivitis Differential Diagnosis Table

Acute Conjunctivitis Differential Diagnosis Table:

Acute conjunctivitis is an inflammation in the lining of eyeballs and eyelids, due to allergy, infection, irritation by chemicals, or mechanical stress. Acute conjunctivitis is experienced as eye irritation with purulent or watery discharge, in addition to a burning sensation, foreign body sensation, and morning matting of eyes. Clinical findings and laboratory cultures are used to diagnose acute conjunctivitis.
Acute conjunctivitis can be irritating to patients, yet it does not have complications and can be managed easily.

How to Distinguish Acute Conjunctivitis from Other Diseases

Distinguish Viral Conjunctivitis from Acute Conjunctivitis – Diagnosis

Viral conjunctivitis is an inflammation in the lining of eyeballs and eyelids, due to viral infection.

• Viral conjunctivitis is characterized by engorged blood vessels, which are absent in acute conjunctivitis.
• Viral conjunctivitis is associated with pain and photophobia, which are both absent in acute conjunctivitis.

“Adenovirus testing and PCR analysis are used for differentiation.”

Distinguish Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis from Acute Conjunctivitis – Diagnosis

Giant papillary conjunctivitis is a contact lens complication.

• Giant papillary conjunctivitis is characterized by giant papillae in the eyelid, which are absent in acute conjunctivitis.
• Giant papillary conjunctivitis is associated with contact lenses, while acute conjunctivitis is not associated with contact lenses.

Distinguish Dry Eye Syndrome from Acute Conjunctivitis – Diagnosis

⦁ Dry Eye Syndrome does not involve discharge, while acute conjunctivitis involves discharge.

“Tear stability and Tear volume, in addition to Ocular surface assessment, are used for differentiation.”

Distinguish Conjunctival Trauma from Acute Conjunctivitis – Diagnosis

• Conjunctival trauma is due to mechanical, chemical, and thermal trauma, which are not found in acute conjunctivitis.

“Detailed history and imaging examination are used for differentiation.”

Distinguish Foreign Body Sensation from Acute Conjunctivitis – Diagnosis

• Foreign body sensation is an inflammation originating from the cornea, while acute conjunctivitis is an inflammation in the lining of eyeballs or lids.

“Slit lamp examination and Seidel test are used for differentiation.”

Distinguish Keratitis from Acute Conjunctivitis – Diagnosis

• Keratitis is an inflammation in the cornea, while acute conjunctivitis is an inflammation in the lining of eyeballs and eyelids.
• Keratitis involves ulceration and visual decline, while acute conjunctivitis does not involve ulceration nor visual decline.

“Regurgitation when pressure is applied over the lacrimal sac area, in addition to the presence of corneal infiltrate, are used for differentiation.”

Distinguish Uveitis from Acute Conjunctivitis – Diagnosis

• Uveitis is a disease that involves uvea inflammation, unlike acute conjunctivitis, which involves conjunctiva inflammation.
• Uveitis symptoms range from eye pain to complete visual loss, unlike acute conjunctivitis, which does not include eye pain nor visual loss.

“Slit lamp examination and Blood tests are used for differentiation.”

Distinguish Conjunctival Tumors from Acute Conjunctivitis – Diagnosis

• Conjunctival tumors are asymptomatic growing masses, unlike acute conjunctivitis, which includes inflammation of eyelids and eyeballs.

“Slit-lamp examination, in addition to tumor imaging and biopsy, are used for differentiation.”

Acute Conjunctivitis Red Flags and Management

• Acute conjunctivitis is usually self-limiting. Complications are rare if therapy fails within 5-7 days. Acute conjunctivitis is managed by antimicrobial and antibiotic agents. If acute conjunctivitis is due to allergy, the allergen should be avoided.