Keratoconjunctivitis: What It Is, Types & Causes (2024)

What is keratoconjunctivitis?

Keratoconjunctivitis is the term for an eye condition that involves inflammation of both your cornea and conjunctiva at the same time.

You have a cornea — a clear window — on the front of each eye. Your cornea is made of tough, transparent tissue. It covers your iris and your pupil. Inflammation of your cornea is called keratitis.

Your conjunctiva is a clear, thin tissue that covers your sclera (the white part of your eyes) and also lines the inside of your eyelids. Inflammation of your conjunctiva is called pink eye (conjunctivitis).

The difference between having only keratitis or only conjunctivitis is with keratoconjunctivitis, you have both.

What are the types of keratoconjunctivitis?

Generally, there are several ways to divide keratoconjunctivitis into types or forms. For instance, you can have it in one eye (unilateral) or in both eyes (bilateral).

It can be hyperacute (last less than one week), acute (lasting three to four weeks) or chronic (lasting for more than four weeks).

Keratoconjunctivitis can be infectious or non-infectious. Non-infectious causes include allergies, autoimmune disorders or toxins.

What's the difference between keratoconjunctivitis and xerophthalmia?

Keratoconjunctivitis and xerophthalmia both affect the same parts of your eye — your cornea and your conjunctiva. They both involve inflammation too. However, vitamin A deficiency causes xerophthalmia and the dry eyes related to the condition.

How common is keratoconjunctivitis?

An estimated 6 million people in the U.S. go to their healthcare provider with signs of keratoconjunctivitis or conjunctivitis each year. These conditions can happen to anyone, but different types of keratoconjunctivitis are more common among certain groups. For instance, bacterial keratoconjunctivitis is more common among school-age children.