The cornea of the eye is most often affected by negative environmental factors. If a pink-bluish corolla appears around the cornea, this indicates the presence of a pericorneal injection of the eyeball, which is caused by irritation of the deep vessels of the marginal looped network. Most often, this symptom indicates the development of keratitis. Consider the features of the disease, its causes and methods of diagnosis.
Features of the study of the cornea of the eye
Most often, eye diseases manifest themselves in the form of pain, redness of the shell of the eyeball and decreased vision. The presence of such symptoms is possible with diseases such as keratitis and iridocyclitis, and requires immediate medical attention. These ailments can either develop independently or occur as a complication of influenza, tuberculosis, rheumatism, sinusitis, and infections of a different nature.
Examination of the patientbegins with a visual examination of the cornea, checking visual acuity, position and size of the eyeball. In young children, in the presence of an injection of the eyeball, the symptoms may be mild. Pericorneal injection for anterior uevitis has similar symptoms to keratitis.
Additionally, the eyeball is examined using the combined lighting method (front and side). If there are corneal endometrium (glued spots of a certain pigment), pay attention to their shape, shade and size. After examining them, we can talk about the nature of the pathological process.
Keratitis and its causes
Keratitis is an inflammatory process that affects the cornea of the eye. The cause of the development of the disease can be a bacterial, viral or fungal infection, a reaction to an allergen, metabolic disorders and chemical factors. There are keratitis of exogenous and endogenous origin.
Exogenous origin of keratitis occurs when:
- erosion that has spread to the cornea;
- traumatic illness;
- infectious keratitis caused by exposure to certain bacteria;
- keratitis caused by conjunctivitis.
Endogenous keratitis includes:
- infectious (syphilis, tuberculosis, malaria);
- neurogenic (may occur with burns);
- vitaminous, which occur due to a lack of vitamins of group A, as well as B1, B2 and C;
- pathology of unknown etiology.
Symptoms of keratitis
Pericorneal injection indicates the presence of an inflammatory disease of the cornea, which most often occurs with keratitis. The effect of shell formation on the eyeball is the first and early symptom of the disease.
With the development of an inflammatory process on the cornea, regardless of its origin (endogenous or exogenous), there is photophobia, increased lacrimation and blepharospasm, that is, a feeling that a foreign body has entered the eye. This symptomatology is called a horn-like symptom and is provoked by the internal protective properties of the eyeball.
If the irritation is really caused by a foreign body in the eye, then with the help of tears it is washed away, while the wound is cleansed and disinfected.
An objective examination of the damaged eye may reveal the following symptoms of keratitis: pericorneal vascular injection (eye damage), inflammatory infiltration (may be diffuse or focal), changes in the properties of the cornea and ingrowth of newly formed vessels.
Complaints of pain in the eye speak of corneal erosion. In this case, painful sensations can be given to the head area.
Pericorneal vascular injection
Such symptoms occur in the early stages of the development of inflammation in the cornea. Redness occurs diffuse in the form of the formation of a pink-bluish corolla. It is calledthe first stage of keratitis.
The concept of "pericorneal injection" corresponds to the redness of the cornea in a certain place or around the entire circumference, depending on the size of the focus of inflammation. Also, irritation that affects the conjunctival vessels can join the injection. In this case, mixed hyperemia of the eyeball occurs.
At the first stage, infiltration is focal in most cases. Points on the cornea can be located in different places and have a diverse structure. Most often, the boundaries of the focus do not have clear outlines.
The hue depends on the cellular composition: gray color with little infiltration by leukocytes, a yellowish tint indicates the presence of pus. The structure of the cornea itself also changes. It becomes rough, natural shine disappears and transparency is broken. As the inflammatory process develops, sensitivity gradually disappears, and not only in the affected eye, but also in the he althy eyeball.
After a few days, vessels begin to grow in the direction of the infiltrate. Initially, they promote healing and repair of the cornea, but if left untreated, they reduce the quality of vision.
The second stage of the development of the disease is characterized by necrotic processes that develop in the cornea. It all depends on the body's ability to resist pathogenic bacteria and infection. So, in some, the ulcer can spread only to a small area of the cornea, while in others, it can melt the cornea within a few hours, penetrating wide and deep. Othe progression of the process is evidenced by the presence of one undermined edge with an overhanging bubble.
Diagnosis of keratitis
It is possible to diagnose such an ailment as keratitis without complex manipulations. The cornea itself is accessible for inspection. At the same time, such a symptom as a pericorneal injection indicates a disease in the early stages of inflammation of the eyeball.
It is more difficult here to determine the cause of the origin of the pathology. For this, laboratory methods, clinical tests are used to confirm or exclude the source of infection.
If there are no opacities in the cornea, its sphere is smooth and shiny, while sensitivity is not disturbed, keratitis is excluded. It is more difficult to understand if there was already keratitis in the eye.
Pericorneal injection in combination with corneal syndrome indicates only the presence of inflammation, and keratitis or iridocyclitis is determined by the differential diagnosis.
In the presence of herpetic or neurogenic keratitis, the sensitivity of not only the affected eye, but also the he althy eyeball, decreases. If the disease is caused by endogenous keratitis, then the inflammation develops rapidly, the surface layers are affected, erosion is formed. With an exogenous disease, the course of the disease is longer, most often the deep, rather than superficial, membranes are affected.
Conclusion
Due to the influence of negative factors from the outside, the cornea of the eye is prone to inflammation most often. In the early stages, it is manifested by inflammation, that is,pericorneal vascular injection. In order to determine the source of the lesion, as well as the stage of development of the disease, a comprehensive diagnosis of the cornea is carried out, starting with a visual examination of the eyeball and ending with clinical studies. A neglected pathology can lead to loss of visual function, so it is not worth starting or postponing treatment if any discomfort appears.
