What are the symptoms of chronic keratitis?

The two more common types of keratitis are acute keratitis and chronic keratitis. Chronic keratitis also has classifications, and this is also a common inflammation in clinical practice. Symptoms of chronic keratitis are relatively common. The patient's cornea may appear cloudy and there may also be a stinging sensation.

1. Corneal opacity

Corneal opacities are caused by corneal infiltration, edema, or ulcers. It must be differentiated from corneal scars formed after inflammation. Symptoms of chronic keratitis

2. Conjunctival edema

In severe cases, the conjunctiva and even the eyelids may become edematous. Corneal infiltration occurs when leukocytes migrate to the corneal lesions due to limbal hyperemia. When corneal inflammation reaches the regression stage, the clinical irritation symptoms are greatly alleviated.

3. Vascular ulcers

During the course of the disease, corneal neovascularization occurs, ulcers occur, and the capillary network around the congested corneal edge extends new blood vessel branches to invade the cornea, which is called corneal neovascularization. The subepithelial new blood vessels come from the superficial vascular network, are tree-like, bright red in color, and connected to the conjunctival blood vessels. The anterior stroma neovascularization originates from the deep vascular network; the posterior stroma neovascularization comes from the branches of the iris artery loop and radial iris vessels extending to the corneal limbus. The deep neovascularization is brush-shaped and dark red in color. The appearance of new blood vessels on the cornea is a manifestation of the body's repair function.

4. Ciliary congestion

Ciliary congestion When the cornea is inflamed, the anterior ciliary vascular network around the corneal edge expands and becomes congested, which is called ciliary congestion. When conjunctival and ciliary congestion occur at the same time, it is called mixed congestion.

5. My eyes hurt and I was crying

Except for paralytic keratitis, most patients with keratitis have severe inflammatory symptoms such as pain, photophobia, tearing, and blepharospasm. This is because the trigeminal nerve endings in the cornea are stimulated by inflammation, causing reflex contraction of the orbicularis oculi muscle and excessive tear secretion. The cornea is an avascular tissue, but the adjacent areas are rich in blood vessels (the blood vessels of the corneal margin and iris and ciliary body). When inflammation involves the adjacent tissues, there will be congestion and inflammatory exudate. Therefore, patients with keratitis not only have ciliary congestion, but also iris congestion. The latter manifests as iris discoloration and pupil constriction.