Pharyngoconjunctival Fever Workup

  • Author: Ingrid U Scott, MD, MPH; Chief Editor: Hampton Roy Sr, MD   more...
 
Updated: Mar 29, 2012
 

Laboratory Studies

  • Diagnosis of PCF generally is made based on clinical presentation alone. Virus may be cultured during the acute epithelial stage only, because the stromal infiltrates that occur later in the disease are thought to be immune complexes against residual viral antigen.
  • Without positive viral cultures taken during the first 8-10 days, proof of diagnosis beyond clinical impression may be obtained from paired blood specimens; one specimen drawn 1 week after the onset of symptoms and the second specimen drawn 2-3 weeks later. A 4-fold or greater increase in humoral antibody to adenovirus, measured by complement fixation, indicates recent adenoviral infection.
  • Other diagnostic tests include electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, immunoperoxidase, polymerase chain reaction, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing. Several commercially available tests may provide a diagnosis, although laboratory processing time may be several days to over a week.
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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Ingrid U Scott, MD, MPH  Professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Public Health Sciences, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine

Ingrid U Scott, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Medical Association, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, American Society of Retina Specialists, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Macula Society, Phi Beta Kappa, and Retina Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

John D Sheppard Jr, MD, MMSc  Professor of Ophthalmology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Clinical Director, Thomas R Lee Center for Ocular Pharmacology, Ophthalmology Residency Research Program Director, Eastern Virginia Medical School; President, Virginia Eye Consultants

John D Sheppard Jr, MD, MMSc is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society for Microbiology, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, American Uveitis Society, and Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Simon K Law, MD, PharmD  Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine

Simon K Law, MD, PharmD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Glaucoma Society, and Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Christopher J Rapuano, MD  Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University; Director of the Cornea Service, Co-Director of Refractive Surgery Department, Wills Eye Institute

Christopher J Rapuano, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists, Cornea Society, Eye Bank Association of America, International Society of Refractive Surgery, and Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology

Disclosure: Allergan Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Allergan Consulting fee Consulting; Alcon Honoraria Speaking and teaching; RPS Ownership interest Other; EyeGate Pharma Consulting fee Consulting; Bausch & Lomb Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Bausch & Lomb Consulting; Merck Honoraria Speaking and teaching

Lance L Brown, OD, MD  Ophthalmologist, Affiliated With Freeman Hospital and St John's Hospital, Regional Eye Center, Joplin, Missouri

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Hampton Roy Sr, MD  Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Hampton Roy Sr, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American College of Surgeons, and Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

References

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  14. Pavan-Langston D. Viral diseases of the cornea and external eye. In: Albert DM, Jakobiec FA, eds. Principles and Practices of Ophthalmology. Vol. 1. 1994:117-161.

  15. Reed DB. Viral and bacterial conjunctivitis. Prevention of disastrous results. Postgrad Med. Sep 15 1989;86(4):103-4, 107-9, 113-4. [Medline].

  16. Rietveld RP, van Weert HC, ter Riet G, Bindels PJ. Diagnostic impact of signs and symptoms in acute infectious conjunctivitis: systematic literature search. BMJ. Oct 4 2003;327(7418):789. [Medline].

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