The role of parasitic infection in the aetiology of phlyctenular eye disease.

Stool and urine analysis of 150 cases of phlyctenular eye disease, revealed that 115 (76.67%) were positive for intestinal parasites. The most prevalent parasites were Hymenolepis nana (49.56%) followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (27.82%). Eosinophilia (5-10%) was detected in 90 phlycten cases (60%), 80 of them (88.8%) had parasitic infection. Since H. nana can produce a type of tissue hypersensitivity, phlyctenular eye disease may be partly referred to such an infection.