Vernal keratoconjunctivitis as a systemic disease.

Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a rare chronic ocular inflammatory disease and it mainly affects boys in the first decade of life. Although it is a self-limiting disease, patients may present many phases characterized by an exacerbation of inflammatory symptoms with a consequent decline of the quality of life. A family history of immunological disorders was found in 46% of patients, 28% of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, 14% of type I diabetes, 14% of psoriasis, and 1 of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Furthermore, 35% of patients was ANA positive and they corresponded to patients with a higher ocular score and with the most important clinical symptoms. The detection of ANA positivity and of a familiar history of autoimmune disorders in a high percentage of children with VKC may help us to better understand the association of this ocular inflammatory disease with systemic autoimmune disorders and atopic condition.