Pediatria pre prax 3/2026

Red eye in children: a focus on chronic conditions – a practical guide for pediatricians

Red eye in children is a common reason for visiting a pediatrician and encompasses a wide spectrum of conditions, ranging from benign cases to serious, vision-threatening pathologies. The most common causes are common acute conjunctivitis of bacterial or viral origin, often associated with a systemic infection in the child, or acute allergic eye symptoms. Chronic red eye is usually caused by a group of chronic allergic conjunctivitis or blepharitis and their complications. These conditions are characterized by their persistence; children return with recurring symptoms, and if not properly diagnosed and treated, they can lead to permanent eye damage and impaired vision. A pediatrician should always be alert to unilateral involvement, photophobia, pain, or decreased vision, where the cause may be trauma or a more serious pathology – such as keratitis. One should also always consider the possibility of anterior uveitis in a child with a systemic disease, particularly JIA. This article summarizes the basic differential diagnostic approach to a child with a red eye, focusing on chronic conditions and their first-line treatment options. Emphasis is placed on clinical signs that a pediatrician can recognize in the outpatient setting and warning signs of more serious disease that warrant referral to an ophthalmologist.

Keywords: red eye, child, conjunctivitis, uveitis, keratitis, pediatrician