A RARE CASE OF THAUMETOPOEA PITYOCAMPA KERATOCONJUNCTIVITIS
Published 2022 - 26th ESCRS Winter Meeting
Reference: CR07 | Type: Cornea Day Case Presentations | DOI: 10.82333/5qg6-fp40
Authors: Ricardo Machado Soares* 1 , Joana Fernandes 2 , Catarina Ferreira 2 , Sofia Teixeira 2 , Miguel Bilhoto 2
1Ophthalmology,Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia e Espinho,Vila Nova de Gaia,Portugal, 2Ophthalmology,Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia e Espinho,Vila Nova De Gaia,Portugal
A 60-year-old woman presented at the emergency ward with complaints of ocular discomfort, blurred vision and hyperemia in his left eye (LE) for one month. He added that he first noted these complaints while riding a bicycle and denied history of ocular trauma. He was previously diagnosed with bacterial conjunctivitis refractory to several topical antibiotics.
At examination, LE best-corrected visual acuity was 6/10, and biomicroscopy revealed diffuse conjunctival hyperemia alongside ciliary injection. Small stromal filaments resembling Thaumetopoea pityocampa’s hairs were seen in the cornea’s inferior and temporal regions. These processionary setae were hyperreflective in the anterior segment optical coherence tomography and could not be removed as they were lodged in the stroma. A diagnosis of Thaumetopoea pityocampa Keratoconjunctivitis was established, and the patient initiated prophylactic treatment for possible pathogens on the hairs. After two weeks of treatment, the patient was free of complaints.
The diagnosis of Thaumetopoea pityocampa Keratoconjunctivitis resides in the presence of the setae in the cornea. Ocular complications of these patients are usually self-limiting, although severe cases with long-lasting sequelae may happen.