Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis among Patients Presenting to the Outpatient Department of Ophthalmology of a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis is a seasonally recurring, bilateral inflammation of the conjunctiva, that occurs in male children with invariable personal or family history of atopy. It is characterized by interstitial inflammation of the cornea and can have sight-threatening complications if not treated in time. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of vernal keratoconjunctivitis among patients presenting to the outpatient department of ophthalmology of a tertiary care centre. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among patients presenting to the outpatient department of ophthalmology from June 2020 to May 2021. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: IRC-PA-076). The relevant details of the history and clinical examination of the patients were recorded on a specifically designed proforma. A simple random sampling technique was used. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Results: Among 2400 patients with conjunctivitis visiting the outpatient department of ophthalmology, vernal keratoconjunctivitis was seen in 80 (3.33%) (2.61- 4.05, 95% Confidence Interval). Conclusions: The prevalence of vernal keratoconjunctivitis in our study was found to be similar to the other studies done in similar settings