Conjunctiva: arsenic conjunctivitis

Eye
Conjunctiva
Arsenic conjunctivitis

Author: Deepali Jain, M.D.

Topic Completed: 1 September 2013

Revised: 7 October 2019

Copyright: 2004-2019, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

PubMed Search: Arsenic conjunctivitis

Page views in 2018: 84

Page views in 2019 to date: 81

Table of Contents

Cite this page: Jain D. Conjunctiva: arsenic conjunctivitis. PathologyOutlines.com website. http://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/eyearsenicconj.html. Accessed December 12th, 2019.

Definition / general

Acute or chronic exposure to arsenic by inhalation or contaminated drinking water causing papillary conjunctivitis (J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 2007;17:215)

Clinical features

Forniceal and palpebral congestion of papillary type, ocular irritation, eyelids dermatitis, photophobia, madarosis (loss of eyelashes) (Patient: Conditions Affecting the External Eye [Accessed 24 April 2018])
Corneal necrosis

Treatment

Elimination of exposure; systemic chelating agents (dimercaprol) for arsenic removal from body

Clinical images

Images hosted on other servers:

Patient with hyper and hypopigmentation in Bangladesh

Microscopic (histologic) description

Papillary conjunctivitis without inclusions (J Ocul Pharmacol Ther 2006;22:208)

Additional references

Indian J Med Res 2009;129:75, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry: Arsenic Toxicity Clinical Assessment [Accessed 24 April 2018]