Adenovirus type 21 keratoconjunctivitis.

A case of keratoconjunctivitis caused by adenovirus type 21 in London has been described. A 59-year-old woman attented hospital in August 1974 complaining of a 3-week history of redness, grittiness, watery discharge, and photophobia in her left eye and a slight upper respiratory infection. Clinical examination showed a moderate follicular conjuctivitis mainly in the lower and upper fornices, which lasted for 6 weeks. In the cornea a moderate amount of epithelial and subepithelial punctate keratitis was observed. The subepithelial opacities were coarse, discrete, and round and lasted for 4 months. The course of follicular conjunctivitis and the subepithelial punctate keratitis in this patient was similar to epidemic keratoconjunctivitis caused by adenovirus 8. A conjunctival swabbing collected from this patient was positive for adenovirus serotype 21.