PURPOSE: To present a preliminary report of homeopathic medicine in the treatment of vernal keratoconjunctivitis, at the Cornea service, of the São Geraldo Hospital. METHODS: Thirteen patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis, examined from January 1998 to December 1999, were included in the present study.The mean age of patients was 9.5 years. Nine patients were males and four were females. All patients had already used or were using steroid eye drops. Before the beginning of homeopathic treatment, all patients were examined by one of the authors, and were monthly followed by the same doctor, during six months and each trimester, for another six months during the homeopathic treatment. The homeopathic treatment was accomplished through one single oral dose, according to the patient's symptomatic totality. RESULTS: The improvement rates of the patients' signals and symptoms were: tearing and ocular pain, 100%; ocular secretion, 92%; foreign body sensation, 86%; itching and photophobia, 84%; decrease or absence of discomfort during daily activities related to vernal keratoconjunctivitis, 84%; Trantas' dots, 62.5%; conjunctival hyperemia, 61%; epithelial erosions 58% and papillary hypertrophy of the upper tarsal conjunctiva, 8%. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggest that homeopathic medicines can be useful in the treatment of vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with improvement of the signals and symptomsrelatedto the disease. A double-masked study, with more patients should be done to confirm these findings.
Conjunctivitis, allergic; Homeopathy
