Abstract
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic recurrent inflammatory skin disease with a bipolar
age distribution in childhood, adolescence and middle adulthood. Up to 50% of AD patients
show ocular involvement, which can be potentially sight threatening. Clinically, the
majority of cases present with atopic blepharo(kerato)conjunctivitis or atopic keratoconjunctivitis
(AKC); other clinical variants from this group of inflammatory ocular surface diseases
are keratoconjunctivitis vernalis in childhood and adolescence and allergic conjunctivitis.
In addition to the aforementioned blepharitis, keratitis and conjunctivitis, AD is
also associated with eyelid involvement with subsequent eyelid malposition, limbal
insufficiency with the development of pseudopterygia, (chronic) cicatrizing conjunctivitis
with symblephara formation and fornix shortening, as well as ocular surface malignancies
such as conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and squamous cell carcinoma.
In addition, an
association with AD or AKC has been described for keratoconus. Whereas the therapy
of AD in dermatology has made revolutionary advances in recent years through the use
of biologicals, the primary use of these biologicals in ophthalmological complications
is still very hesitant. Treatment here is often provided using topical steroids and
calcineurin inhibitors. The following article summarises recent developments in basic
and clinical dermatological research and discusses them in the context of current
concepts for ophthalmological therapy.
Keywords
atopic dermatitis - atopic keratoconjunctivitis - atopy
