PURPOSE: To study conjunctival surface changes caused by chronic inflammation in vernal keratoconjunctivitis using impression cytology. METHODS: Samples of conjunctival epithelium were collected from 30 patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis and 30 patients without ocular diseases that were used as a control group. Each sample was collected from the superior bulbar conjunctiva using filter paper with 0.45µm pores. The material was then fixed and dyed with PAS, HE, and modified Papanicolaou. The tissue was examined with an optical microscope evaluating the following parameters: polymorphonuclear cells, intercellular junctions, mucin, goblet cells, and nuclear/cytoplasm (N/C) ratios. Thereafter, each sample was graded using the Nelson classification. RESULTS: Samples from patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis presented larger amounts of polymorphonuclear cells, smaller amounts of mucin, and more alterations in the nuclear/cytoplasm ratios than in the control group. The amount of goblet cells did not vary. The Nelson classification showed a general inflammatory involvement of the conjunctiva in vernal keratoconjunctivitis. CONCLUSION: Impression cytology was able to evaluate and characterize the degree of inflammatory involvement of the conjunctiva in vernal keratoconjunctivitis.
Conjunctiva; Conjunctivitis; Cytological techniques
