A Close Look at a 'Red Eye'.

In brief The "red eye" is one of the most common presentations of eye disease. There are numerous causes of a red eye; fortunately most patients maintain good visual acuity and have an excellent prognosis. By taking a thorough medical and ocular history and performing an ophthalmic examination, physicians can identify the vision-threatening causes, such as cellulitis, corneal ulcer, and acute glaucoma. Once the cause has been determined-and if it is vision threatening-physicians should refer patients to an ophthalmologist for definitive treatment.