Question:easy
What is the diagnosis for ropy discharge from the eyes, along with itching, which occurs every summer?
What is the diagnosis for ropy discharge from the eyes, along with itching, which occurs every summer?
Show Hint
Seasonal itching with thick, stringy discharge in summer is the classic picture of an allergic eye disease.
Updated On: Jul 8, 2026
- Vernal catarrh
- Bacterial conjunctivitis
- Trachoma
- Phlyctenular conjunctivitis
Show Solution
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Build a checklist from the question.
The clues to match are: discharge that is ropy (thick and stringy), itching as a symptom, and a pattern that repeats every summer.
Step 2: Score each option against the checklist.
Bacterial conjunctivitis gives sticky pus like discharge but rarely itches and has no seasonal pattern, so it fails two of three clues. Trachoma is a slow scarring infection with no itching or seasonal link, failing two clues. Phlyctenular conjunctivitis causes pain and photophobia from a limbal nodule, not itching or ropy discharge, failing all three.
Step 3: Check vernal catarrh against the same list.
Vernal catarrh is driven by an allergic (IgE) reaction that flares in warm weather, giving intense itching plus a thick, ropy mucous discharge that returns each summer. It satisfies all three clues at once.
Step 4: Confirm by mechanism.
Because it is allergic in origin, mast cells release histamine when exposed to seasonal allergens, which explains both the itch and the mucus rich, stringy character of the discharge.
Step 5: Conclude.
\[ \boxed{\text{Vernal catarrh}} \]
The clues to match are: discharge that is ropy (thick and stringy), itching as a symptom, and a pattern that repeats every summer.
Step 2: Score each option against the checklist.
Bacterial conjunctivitis gives sticky pus like discharge but rarely itches and has no seasonal pattern, so it fails two of three clues. Trachoma is a slow scarring infection with no itching or seasonal link, failing two clues. Phlyctenular conjunctivitis causes pain and photophobia from a limbal nodule, not itching or ropy discharge, failing all three.
Step 3: Check vernal catarrh against the same list.
Vernal catarrh is driven by an allergic (IgE) reaction that flares in warm weather, giving intense itching plus a thick, ropy mucous discharge that returns each summer. It satisfies all three clues at once.
Step 4: Confirm by mechanism.
Because it is allergic in origin, mast cells release histamine when exposed to seasonal allergens, which explains both the itch and the mucus rich, stringy character of the discharge.
Step 5: Conclude.
\[ \boxed{\text{Vernal catarrh}} \]
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