Certified Ophthalmic Technician Practice Test 2025 – Complete Exam Prep

The presence of eosinophils in conjunctival scraping is a key indicator of allergic conjunctivitis. Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that play a critical role in the immune response, particularly during allergic reactions. When a person is exposed to allergens, an immune response is triggered, resulting in inflammation and the recruitment of eosinophils to the site of the allergic reaction, which in this case is the conjunctiva.

In allergic conjunctivitis, symptoms may include itching, redness, and tearing, alongside the eosinophilic infiltration detectable during examination. Understanding the pathology associated with allergic reactions helps clinicians differentiate it from other types of conjunctivitis, such as viral or bacterial, which typically do not show a significant presence of eosinophils in their respective conjunctival scrapings. Chronic dry eye, although a common condition, is characterized by a lack of tear production and does not involve the infiltration of eosinophils.