Keratitis

Keratitis, the term applied to inflammation of the cornea of the eye. The disease occurs in several forms; vascular keratitis tends to involve a large portion or the whole of the surface of one or both corneae, and may leave behind it considerable opacity with serious impairment of vision. The conjunctiva is affected, but the fact that something more than mere conjunctivitis is present is borne evidence to by the existence of what is known as a circum-corneal zone, a ring of congestion immediately surrounding the cornea in the sclerotic coat. Rest of the affected eye, cold applications, use of atropine, and counter-irritation are indicated; astringents should be withheld, and herein lies the importance of not confounding the condition with one of conjunctivitis. Interstitial keratitis occurs in children who are affected with inherited syphilis; this disease is associated with a peculiar condition of the teeth, and sometimes with deafness.

Suppurative keratitis is a very destructive disease, and produces great impairment of vision in the affected eye.