3
Table 2. Associated/Predisposing Factors for Conjunctivitis
(cont'd)
Type of
Conjunctivitis Associated/Predisposing Factors
Bacterial
Neonate • Vaginal delivery by infected mother; inadequate prenatal care
Infant • Nasolacrimal duct obstruction, concomitant bacterial otitis
media or pharyngitis, exposure to infected individual
Child • Contact with infected individual; concomitant bacterial otitis
media, sinusitis, or pharyngitis; nasopharyngeal bacterial
colonization; oculogenital spread with sexual abuse
Adult • Contact with infected individual, oculogenital spread,
infection or abnormality of adnexal structure, lid malposition,
severe tear deficiency, immunosuppression, trauma
Immune-mediated
OMMP • Unknown (genetic predisposition may exist)
• Topical drugs may produce OMMP-like disease, with
spectrum of severity ranging from self-limited to progressive
disease indistinguishable from OMMP. Associated drugs
include pilocarpine and timolol. Cicatrizing conjunctivitis
appearing similar to OMMP can be associated with other
disorders including atopic disease and underlying neoplasms,
such as paraneoplastic pemphigus and paraneoplastic lichen
planus
Gra-versus-host
disease (GVHD)
• Patients who have undergone allogeneic stem cell
transplantation
Stevens-Johnson
syndrome
• Unknown (genetic predisposition may exist)
• Prior infection (e.g., HSV, mumps, mycoplasma pneumoniae)
• Systemic medications (e.g., sulfonamides, barbiturates, or
phenytoin) produce inflammation and cicatricial changes of
the various mucous membranes of the body including the
bulbar and palpebral conjunctiva
Neoplastic
Sebaceous carcinoma • Unknown (rarely follows radiation therapy)
Ocular surface
squamous neoplasia
• Associated with human papillomavirus (HPV); associated
with significant exposure to UV light; longstanding chronic
inflammation may be associated
Melanoma • Associated with significant exposure to UV light, a history of
systemic melanoma may exist; previous pigmented lesions such
as primary acquired melanosis (PAM) or nevus of Ota
