"Pink eye" or EIM?

[JenniferJuniper]

My son (Crohn's) started having typical conjunctivitis symptoms last week, red, itchy, swollen, watery, producing mucus. The weird thing is that it seemed to come and go. One day he would wake up a mess and by afternoon his eye would be slightly swollen, slightly pink and not watering anymore. Then the next day it might be acting up all day. So, it's been about 5 days now.

This went on for a few days before I mentioned it in passing here and was advised to call the dr. Couldn't get an appt with ophthalmologist until Monday so GI told me to go to express clinic yesterday to get eye drops for conjunctivitis in the meantime, and keep appt with eye dr on Monday.

Since we have started drops - he just had his 5th dose - symptoms seem to worsening rather than clearing up??

Has anyone experienced similar eye symptoms that were eventually attributed to Crohn's?

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Is there any inflammation in the eye? If that's the case crohns can cause that and it would need steroids promptly.

 

[Maya142]

There have been a couple of parents on the parents' forum whose kids have had eye issues with conjunctivitis.

I'm going to tag Clash and my little penguin.

 

[Clash]

My has an EIM of CD called episcleritis, usually the corners of the whites of his eyes get really red. We saw an ophthalmologist to dx and to ensure it wasn't a more serious EIMs such as scleritis and uveitis. His episcleritis flares right before a symptomatic CD flares.

Here lately he has had what looks to be pink eye. It started a month or so back, we went to ophthalmologist he said it was conjunctivitis but he could not determine if it was the infectious or non infectious type. He gave us some meds. The eye cleared but then returned a week or so later and so has been the pattern. We need to go back to ophthalmologist but I have learned that chronic conjunctivitis is also an RIM of CD. My son's has very little mucus and does not itch extremely nor is there pain but maybea bit of eye sensitivity. We are still using the conjunctivitis med given a month ago since between the docs vacay and our other appts we have yet to get in.

 

[JenniferJuniper]

Thanks everyone - Mylittlepenguin was the one who caught on about my mention of eye problems and I've been following her advice. Going to keep up the drops and hopefully figure out what's up tomorrow.

Clash, does your son have any problems with being allowed in school with conjunctivitis? I haven't approached the school yet so I have no idea what they will say if this becomes chronic but the standard procedure is to keep them out of school.

 

[Clash]

Was the doc at the express clinic an ophthalmologist? I would wait until the ophthalmologist sees your son before talking to the school about it being conjunctivitis. I would also make sure the ophthalmologist your ds was seeing was familiar with Crohns and all of the eye manifestations that can occur.

Our GP early on before dx told us C's eyes were reacting to allergies. It wasn't until seeing an ophthalmologist versed in CD eye EIMs that we got the correct dx.

I think telling the school before there was certainty could cause undue problems. Can he miss school til after the ophthalmologist appt tomorrow? Then you're more than likely have more solid answers. Also make sure it is an ophthalmologist and not an optometrist.

My son attends a flex school and is for the most part deemed independent study so attendance isn't really an issue, also we've had a 504 in place for quite some time. At a regular school if the conjunctivitis was deemed infectious I assume with a 504 in place my son would've been homebound with a homebound teacher assigned.

 

[JenniferJuniper]

No, not an ophthalmologist - won't see one til tomorrow. He starts school next week and I was just thinking out loud about how they would handle this. Will wait until I speak to ophthalmologist.

Mylittlepenguin gave me 504 info - will try to talk to someone at school about it this week. Thanks!

 

[chuckmya]

I thought I had conjunctivitis recently.....but wasn't sure so I went to the eye doctor. Turns out it was uveitis after all so he gave me Pred Forte a steroid eye drop which cleared it up nicely! Good to have it checked regardless! I had iritis which is a form of uveitis! Don't hesitate have it checked! Better to be safe that sorry!

 

[my little penguin]

DS has limbal vernal conjunctivitis .
It is a result of severe allergies typically not seen in the US.
His is not related to crohn's .
He does attend school with it -.

He has been in topical steriods for it almost three years.
Because of the constant steriods he sees an opthamologist every few months .