Parinaud Oculoglandular Syndrome

What is Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome?

Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome is an infection that affects the conjunctiva in one of your eyes. The conjunctiva is the clear tissue that lines the inside surface of your eyelid and outer coating of your eye.

The infection causes bumps called granulomatous nodules to form on your infected conjunctiva. They irritate the tissue around them and cause symptoms like pain, redness and watery eyes.

An eye care specialist will diagnose and treat the infection that’s causing Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome. Most people recover in a few weeks after getting the original infection treated.

Visit an eye care specialist as soon as you notice any changes in your eyes or vision.

What are the symptoms of Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome?

Symptoms of Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome include:

• Eye pain
• Feeling generally sick or unwell
• Fever
• Redness and irritation in one eye
• Swelling in the lymph nodes near your ears.
• Watery eye or extra tearing

You might have additional or different symptoms depending on which exact infection causes Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome.

What causes Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome?

Infections that spread to your eye cause Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome. Any infection can cause it, including:

• Bacteria
• Funguses
• Viruses
• Parasites

An infection can get into your eye directly off your finger if you rub or touch your eye. Some infections can be spread in the air through infected particles or spores.

The most common causes of Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome are:

• Cat scratch fever (cat scratch disease). Cat scratch fever is a bacterial infection that you can get if an infected cat bites or scratches you or licks an open wound on your body.
• Sporotrichosis (rose gardener’s disease). Sporotrichosis is a fungal infection that spreads from plants to your skin. The fungus usually gets into your body through a cut in your skin after you touch a plant carrying the fungal spores.
• Tularemia (rabbit fever or deer fly fever). Tularemia is a bacterial infection that spreads from infected insects to animals and humans. You can get it after being bitten by an infected insect or handling infected live or dead animals.

It’s less common for other infections to cause Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome, but they can include:

• Leprosy (Hansen’s disease)
• Listeria
• Mumps
• Syphilis
• Tuberculosis
• Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis)

Risk factors

Anyone can develop Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome after being exposed to an infection that causes it.

People with pets are more likely to get these kinds of infections. The most common types of pets that transmit these infections include:

• Cats
• Rabbits
• Rodents (like hamsters, mice or rats)

Other types of pets and wild animals can transmit these infections, too.

Even if you have a pet that’s known to transmit infections, that doesn’t mean they have these diseases (or that you’re guaranteed to catch them). Make sure your pets get regular veterinary checkups and screenings to reduce the risk that they’re carrying an infection that can spread to humans.

How is Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome diagnosed?

A healthcare provider or eye care specialist will diagnose Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome with an eye exam. They’ll look at your eye and examine your other symptoms (like a fever or swollen lymph nodes).

Your provider might use a blood test to check for signs of infection in your blood.

How is Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome treated?

Your provider will treat the infection that caused Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome. Which treatment you’ll need depends on which infection you have. The symptoms will improve and eventually go away as the original infection gets better.

If the Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome is caused by a bacterial infection, your provider might prescribe antibiotics. Make sure to take the full dose as long as your provider instructs — even if you start feeling better in a few days. If you stop taking antibiotics early, there’s a chance the infection will return and be more severe than it was the first time.

It’s rare, but some people with Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome need surgery to remove infected tissue near their lymph nodes. Your healthcare provider will tell you what to expect.

How can I prevent Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome?

Washing your hands often — especially after touching or holding animals — is the best way to prevent the infections that cause Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome.

Take your pets to the vet regularly to make sure they’re healthy and aren’t carrying any infections that can spread to you.

Avoid contact with wild animals like rabbits and squirrels. Check yourself and your pets for ticks after spending time outdoors.

What can I expect if I have Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome?

You should expect to make a full recovery from Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome. How long it takes depends on which infection causes it, but most people recover in a few weeks after starting treatment.

Your eye care specialist or healthcare provider will tell you how long it’ll take you to recover.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Visit an eye care specialist or healthcare provider as soon as you experience new symptoms or notice redness and irritation in your eye. Lots of conditions cause symptoms similar to Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome, so it’s important to get any changes in your eyes examined right away.

Go to the emergency room if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Severe eye pain
• Sudden vision loss
• You can’t open or move your eye

Which questions should I ask my provider?

You might want to ask your provider:

• Which infection caused Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome?
• Will I need any tests?
• Which treatments will I need?
• How long will it take for me to recover?