Allergic diseases of the lids, conjunctiva, and cornea.

Allergic ocular diseases are frequently encountered in the ophthalmologic practice. The term covers a wide array of severity, ranging from seasonal allergic conjunctivitis to the sight-threatening variant of atopic keratoconjunctivitis. The pathophysiology of these diseases is complex. Recent studies showed that nerve growth factor and interleukin IV, seem to play a role in these mechanisms.