To evaluate the therapeutic effect of the combined treatment of excision of the papillae and a supratarsal injection of triamcinolone on refractory vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC).

Twenty-three eyes of 14 patients with refractory vernal keratoconjunctivitis were included. Patients were treated with the combined excision of papillae and supratarsal injection of triamcinolone. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure, symptoms of itching, tearing, discomfort, secretion and epiphora, and signs including limbal hypertrophy, hyperemia, papilla size, keratitis, corneal neovascularization and blepharitis were evaluated before and two weeks, four weeks, and eight weeks after treatment. The CCL11 level in the tears of each eye were analyzed before and two weeks after treatment.

The mean scores of subjective symptoms and objective signs as well as BCVA were significantly improved two weeks after treatment. CCL11 levels in the tears were 389.5±474.9 pg/ml before treatment and were undetectable two weeks after treatment. Improvement of symptom and sign parameters was maintained up to eight weeks after treatment. However, seven eyes (30.4%) recurred within two weeks after treatment.

Combined excision of the papillae and a supratarsal injection of triamcinolone may be effective in the treatment of refractory VKC.