Contact allergy to components in topical ophthalmologic preparations.

Contact allergy to various components of topical ophthalmological preparations was tested in 27 patients suffering from prolonged or chronic conjunctivitis, keratoconjunctivitis or blepharoconjunctivitis. Our results reveal relevant allergy towards ophthalmological preparations in 44.4% of patients tested. Allergic reactions to topical antibiotics, especially to neomycin (18.5%) and bacitracin (7.4%) was encountered as well as allergy to preservatives such as benzalconium chloride (3.7%). It is essential to bear in mind that contact allergy to components of topical preparations may cause complications and prolongation of symptoms during treatment, and therefore the importance of performing patch tests in prolonged cases of conjunctivitis or keratoconjunctivitis is stressed.