Giant papillary conjunctivitis affects your conjunctiva, which lines your eyelids. You may develop bumps. It happens mostly to people who wear contact lenses but can also happen if you have an artificial eye or stitches in your eye. You’ll have eye irritation and thick mucus in your eye.
Giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC) is a term for what happens when the inside of your eyelids (the conjunctiva) becomes inflamed (swollen), red and sore. Your eyelid may have bumps, called papillae.
Wearing contact lenses is a risk factor for this condition. In fact, another term for the condition is contact lens papillary conjunctivitis. It usually happens in teens and young adults.
In the United States, there are approximately 45 million contact lens wearers. About 90% of the total number of contact lens wearers use soft contact lenses. About 5% of people who wear soft contact lenses get GPC, according to one estimate.
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Giant papillary conjunctivitis symptoms, which usually happen in both eyes, may include:
Many causes of giant papillary conjunctivitis involve contact lenses. They include:
Causes of giant papillary conjunctivitis that don’t involve lenses include other chronic (long-lasting) allergies or friction on the inside of your eyelids. These irritants include:
Some scientists classify giant papillary conjunctivitis into two types: primary and secondary.
Allergies are the cause of the primary type of giant papillary conjunctivitis. Repeated friction against the upper eyelids causes secondary giant papillary conjunctivitis.
Other researchers consider giant papillary conjunctivitis to have mechanical causes, making it different from allergic forms of conjunctivitis.
Unlike other types of infectious conjunctivitis (pink eye), giant papillary conjunctivitis isn’t contagious.
Risk factors for giant papillary conjunctivitis include:
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Complications of giant papillary conjunctivitis include:
Drooping eyelid, also called ptosis, or other eyelid damage.
Your eye care specialist will ask you about your signs and symptoms and your medical history. They’ll give you a complete eye exam. They’ll flip your eyelids (evert them) to look for bumps (papillae).
In some cases, your provider may use a dye called fluorescein to make it easier to see the bumps on your eyelid.
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If you’re a contact lens wearer, treating giant papillary conjunctivitis starts with avoiding contact lens use for at least two weeks.
Your provider may prescribe eye drops or ointments that help with itching or swelling. These topical products may be antihistamine products, mast cell stabilizer products or a combination of both.
Your provider may also recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and artificial tears that don’t contain preservatives.
For severe cases, your provider may prescribe topical corticosteroids.
If you have giant papillary conjunctivitis because of an artificial eye (ocular prosthesis), you may need to refinish it or replace it.
There are a number of side effects related to long-term use of steroid eye drops, such as cataract development and higher eye pressure.
With any type of eye drops or lotions, there’s a risk for irritation and redness.
You should start feeling better in about a week after you begin treatment for giant papillary conjunctivitis. It may take up to a month before you can wear contact lenses again.
There’s no way to prevent every case of giant papillary conjunctivitis. If you wear contact lenses, you may be able to do some things to lower your risk of giant papillary conjunctivitis. These things include:
If you have giant papillary conjunctivitis, your outlook is good. Following the treatment plan from your provider should lead to a complete recovery.
Your eyes should begin to improve quickly if you follow the treatment plan from your eye care provider and continue to avoid wearing contact lenses for a few weeks.
You should be able to go back to work or school immediately. You’re not contagious.
If you find you can’t wear your contact lenses, you should see your eye care provider, especially if you have eye irritation and thick mucus.
You should always get emergency care if you have extreme eye pain or a sudden loss of vision.
You may want to ask your healthcare provider questions such as these:
A note from Cleveland Clinic
If you wear contact lenses or have an artificial eye, you may develop a form of noninfectious conjunctivitis called giant papillary conjunctivitis. This condition is very manageable. Make sure you see your eye care provider. Ignoring this condition could lead to more serious damage to your eye, especially your cornea.
Last reviewed on 05/26/2023.
Learn more about the Health Library and our editorial process.
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Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy