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Wendy A. Epstein, MD; Miguel Sanchez, MD; Paul Kechijian, MD
Department of Dermatology Bellevue Hospital New York University Medical Center 550 First Ave New York, NY 10016

Arch Dermatol. 1985;121(7):838.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.—

Recently, four patients on the inpatient service dermatology ward at Bellevue Hospital, New York, developed acute conjunctivitis one to two weeks after the initiation of ultraviolet-B phototherapy. Three patients developed symptoms between six and nine days after the first patient's conjunctivitis was diagnosed. No other ward patients were receiving phototherapy, and no other patients developed eye symptoms.

On the basis of complete ophthalmologic evaluation, a diagnosis of viral conjunctivitis was made on the four affected patients. Epidemiologic investigation revealed that these patients had shared a single pair of goggles.

Despite the fact that infectious keratoconjunctivitis can be transmitted through contaminated ophthalmologic instruments¹ it is still common practice in many phototherapy units for patients to share eye protective devices to prevent ultraviolet-induced keratonconjunctivitis.²

Since infections may be transmitted through shared use of goggles, it seems appropriate that cleansing must be done following each use or that . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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