Which condition is more associated with a systemic history of asthma?

• A. VKC
• B. AKC
• C. Bacterial Conjunctivitis
• D. Viral Conjunctivitis

Answer: (A)

Vernal keratoconjunctivitis is a crowded-field allergic conjunctivitis that often occurs in children who have other atopic diseases, including asthma. The same allergic shop window—IgE-mediated sensitization and eosinophilic inflammation—drives both VKC on the eye and asthma in the airways. Because of this shared atopic background, a patient with a systemic history of asthma is more likely to have VKC than an infectious conjunctivitis or even a different atopic eye condition. Bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are infections and don’t reflect a systemic allergic tendency. While atopic keratoconjunctivitis is also linked to atopy, VKC’s strong association with broader atopic disease in the pediatric population makes it the best match for a history of asthma.