RED EYE SYNDROME: CLINICAL ASPECTS AND DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Red eye is a clinical manifestation that can list a series of differential diagnoses. This clinical sign represents one of the most frequent complaints in ophthalmology emergencies and is relatively recurrent in outpatient clinics of internal medicine and family health. Despite so many possibilities, most of the diseases that occur with red eye have a self-limited natural history and a benign prognosis. On the other hand, a small portion can be associated with systemic diseases and, regardless or not, signify serious eye disease. Therefore, the current study aims to compend the clinical aspects and differential diagnoses of this syndrome that can impact the patient's life through a more accurate initial diagnosis. METHODOLOGY: This is a narrative review in which Scielo, PubMed, Lilacs, UpToDate and Google Scholar databases were used to obtain articles. The selection of articles did not use explicit and systematic criteria for the search and critical analysis of the literature, especially due to the lack of description of the topic. RESULTS: Among the main ophthalmological diseases that occur with red eye syndrome, conjunctivitis (infectious and non-infectious), acute anterior uveitis, acute glaucoma, corneal ulcer, corneal foreign body, subconjunctival hemorrhage and others stand out. Therefore, the main differences between these diagnoses were discussed. CONCLUSIONS: The manifestation of red eye can represent a number of differential diagnoses, ranging from systemic diseases to ophthalmological conditions with a poor prognosis if left untreated. In the SUS, access to the ophthalmology service is hampered by poor accessibility, especially in poorer regions. In this sense, it is essential that the general practitioner be able to identify clinical and differential aspects in the first approach, mainly to institute early treatment and make a timely referral, when necessary.