What Is Conjunctivitis?
8. Diagnosis
The diagnosis of conjunctivitis is most often achieved clinically through an examination by a physician or ophthalmologist as there are many conditions that can cause redness of the eyes. Cultures are generally unnecessary as most cases are self-limiting and resolve without treatment or antibiotics.
In cases where bacterial conjunctivitis is suspected but there is no improvement to topical antibiotics, swabs can be obtained for bacterial culture. A patch test may be beneficial to help identify the allergen for allergic conjunctivitis. While rarely done due to both cost and experience required in handling ocular specimens, conjunctival scrapes for cytology can be beneficial in the detection of fungal infections, chlamydia, dysplasia, and allergy. When dysplasia or granulomatous disease are suspected, conjunctival incisional biopsy may be performed.
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