Ocular complications of atopic dermatitis

We examined the frequency and types of ocular complications that developed in 560 eyes of 280 patients with atopic dermatitis at the Department of Dermatology, Tokyo Medical College Hospital. Mild ocular involvement included blepharitis in 294 eyes (52.5%), conjunctivitis in 221 eyes (39.5%), and superficial punctate keratopathy in 65 eyes (11.6%). More serious ocular complications leading to decreased visual function occurred in 133 eyes (23.8%) that developed lens opacities, and 34 eyes (6.0%) that developed retinal break or retinal detachment. Because of the presence of abnormalities in the peripheral retina, we believe that a pathogenic factor may have been present in the vitreous of these atopic dermatitis patients. Many of our patients with atopic dermatitis had serious ocular complications in the absence of ocular symptoms. Thus it is important to conduct a thorough ophthalmological examination in the early period of disease in atopic dermatitis patients, both for the management of early but serious ocular complications, as well as for the preservation of visual function.