Long-term corticosteroid treatment, onset in infancy, and family history of AD increase risks for cataracts in children.

Ocular complications of atopic dermatitis (AD) include herpes simplex, conjunctivitis, keratoconus, retinal detachment, and subcapsular cataracts (SCs). Both posterior and anterior SCs have been described in AD patients, but the related risk factors and pathogenesis of their formation are largely unknown.


Authors of this case report and review of the literature describe a 6-year-old girl with asthma and allergic rhinitis who presented with severe chronic AD. She had had multiple hospitalizations and missed school days due to AD despite multiple courses of topical and systemic corticosteroids, antibiotics, and emollients. Her AD improved with UVB and UVA phototherapy administered with appropriate eye protection. At age 7, she awoke with sudden blindness due to bilateral anterior SCs. These were corrected surgically; 4 weeks later, she developed a detached retina.


Citation(s):

Bair B et al. Cataracts in atopic dermatitis: A case presentation and review of the literature. Arch Dermatol 2011 Jan 17; [e-pub ahead of print].