The commonly known 'pink eye' refers to which medical condition?

• A. Blepharitis
• B. Conjunctivitis
• C. Keratitis
• D. Endophthalmitis

Answer: (B)

Pink eye is the common term for conjunctivitis, an inflammation of the conjunctiva—the thin membrane that lines the inside of the eyelids and covers the white part of the eye. When the conjunctiva swells and becomes irritated, the eye looks red (hence “pink eye”), and you may notice itching, a burning sensation, increased tearing, and discharge that can be watery or slightly mucousy. It can be caused by viral or bacterial infections or by allergens, and it’s often contagious in the infectious forms.

Blepharitis, by contrast, is inflammation of the eyelid margins and usually involves lid redness, crusting, and irritation at the lash line rather than the conjunctiva-wide redness seen with conjunctivitis. Keratitis is an inflammation of the cornea and typically brings more intense pain, light sensitivity, tearing, and vision changes. Endophthalmitis is a serious infection inside the eye that follows surgery or trauma and presents with severe eye pain, vision loss, and redness—much more urgent and different in presentation than common pink eye.

So the term pink eye most accurately maps to conjunctivitis.