Efficacy of medical treatments for vernal keratoconjunctivitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a severe type of allergic conjunctivitis for which treatment strategies are still under debate. Objectives: This study sought to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of medical treatments for VKC. Methods: The PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and ScienceDirect databases were searched to assess the efficacy of treatments for VKC. Random-effect meta-analyses on changes in clinical scores of symptoms and signs between baseline and after treatment, stratified on treatment classes, were computed. Meta-regressions were searched for potential influencing parameters. Results: Included were 45 studies (27 randomized controlled trials and 18 prospective cohort studies), 1749 patients (78% were men; mean age, 11.2 years), and 12 different treatment classes. Mast cell stabilizers (MCSs; usually considered as firstline therapy), cyclosporine, and tacrolimus were the most studied drugs (in three-quarters of studies). Overall, all clinical scores improved. Total symptom and sign score decreased for MCSs (effect size, -3.19; 95% CI, -4.26 to -2.13), cyclosporine (effect size, -2.06; 95% CI, -2.72 to -1.40), and tacrolimus (effect size, -2.39; 95% CI, -3.36 to -1.43). No significant differences were shown depending on treatment classes, concentration, age, sex, baseline activity scores, and atopy. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated similar results. Conclusions: This study confirms the efficacy of MCSs in the treatment of VKC. Efficacy of cyclosporine and tacrolimus did not differ, suggesting that tacrolimus is a good alternative to cyclosporine for severe cases of VKC. Further studies are needed to compare other drugs and their precise place in treatment strategy.

Automated summary

This study systematically reviewed the efficacy of medical treatments for vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) and found that mast cell stabilizers are effective in treating VKC, while there was no significant difference in the efficacy of cyclosporine and tacrolimus, suggesting that tacrolimus can be a good alternative for severe cases of VKC. Further studies are needed to compare other drugs and their exact place in the treatment strategy.