Diagnostic Quiz

Young Woman Feels 
Itchy and Crusty

Andrew S. Gurwood, O.D.

A 25-year-old female complained of itchy, crusty eyes for the last 3 weeks. Her ocular history was unremarkable for disease, injuries or surgeries. Her systemic history was uneventful. She’s a cigarette smoker. No other historical data deserves mention.
How would you handle this presentation of a 25-year-old female who complained of itching and crusting? Her vision was unaffected, and otherwise she appeared fine.

Best-corrected visual acuities were 20/20 in each eye at distance and near. The external exam was normal with no evidence of an afferent pupillary defect. Refraction revealed emmetropia O.U. The photo depicts the slit lamp view of the right eye.

The angles appeared open in each eye. Goldmann applanation tonometry measured intraocular pressures of 16mm. The dilated fundus exam revealed healthy optic nerve heads with no evidence of posterior pole or peripheral pathology in either eye.

Are there any additional tests you require? What is your diagnosis? What are your differential diagnoses? How would you manage this patient? What patient education would you offer? What would be the expected course of resolution?

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© Review of Optometry OnLine
June 15, 2000