• A clinical finding commonly seen in infectious etiologies or as a side effect of an allergic drug reaction may be a late-onset indication of vernal keratoconjunctivitis, suggests a study published online in the journal Cornea.¹ Researchers in Iran presented two case reports of Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon (a rare histopathologic condition associated with granulomatous inflammation), which were both treated using topical corticosteroids, as well as cyclosporine 2% in one instance. 

“Our patients had distinct clinical features and extensive involvement of the upper bulbar conjunctiva. Based on the histopathologic report, documented history of VKC, negative results of other causes and rapid response to corticosteroids, Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon could be considered as a late finding of VKC in our patients,” they conclude. 

1. Soleimani M, Tabatabaei SA, Mirshahi R, et al. New finding in vernal keratoconjunctivitis: Splendore-Hoeppli Phenomenon. Cornea. 2016. [Epub ahead of print.]

• Red-tinted contact lens wear may improve quality of life for patients with retinal conditions, suggests a study in the April 2016 Optometry & Vision Science.¹ Researchers in Israel and the US retrospectively evaluated centrally-colored lenses on nine patients with severe photophobia related to pathological retinal conditions. Best-corrected visual acuity and contrast sensitivity (CS) were measured with and without contact lenses, and eye movement for nystagmus and subjective visual functioning were recorded. With lens wear, mean binocular visual acuity improved from 6/45 to 6/40 and CS improved from 0.92 to 1.18 log units. Seven of the nine patients also demonstrated an improvement of at least one line in BCVA.

“Our study suggests that the use of red-tinted contact lenses with luminous transmittance of 13% to 17% not only significantly reduced photophobia in patients with retinal dystrophies but also led to a modest improvement in visual acuity and CS,” the researchers note. Though seemingly minor for healthy patients, “a gain of even a single line on a Snellen chart is a meaningful improvement in overall visual performance for those with limited visual potential.”

1. Severinsky B, Yahalom C, Sebok TF, et al. Red-tinted contact lenses may improve quality of life in retinal diseases. Optom Vis Sci. 2016 Apr;93(4):445-450.