Primary Varicella Infection-associated Conjunctivitis: A Case-based Review and Insights into its Pathogenesis.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70672/30bdbn07Keywords:
immune mediated cytopathy, vesicular conjunctivitis, secondary cell-associated viraemia, ϒδ-T cells, T-helper regulatory cellsAbstract
Primary varicella infection or chickenpox is a very common illness predominantly of childhood caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV). Ocular involvement in chickenpox is relatively uncommon but is well documented in the literature. We present a case study of a healthy 6-year-old child developing unilateral serous conjunctivitis on day-2 of illness with spontaneous resolution by day-5. We narratively reviewed the findings of 2 larger case series in the English literature, highlighting ocular complications associated with chickenpox. Conjunctivitis is the second commonest ocular complication associated with chickenpox. Conjunctivitis associated with chickenpox generally runs a benign course and spontaneously resolve without anti-viral therapy. We reviewed the potential mechanisms of conjunctival involvement in chickenpox. These include epithelial homology to keratinocytes, the types of carrier T-lymphocyte involved in the secondary viraemic phase and VZV induced T-lymphocyte surface antigenic remodelling favouring ocular homing.
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