Red eye for the internist : When to treat , when to refer REVIEW ■

Because it is difficult to distinguish between infectious and noninfectious conditions, and because treating infections with corticosteroids alone can have grave consequences, we recommend that internists generally not use topical corticosteroids to treat eye symptoms. ANY PATIENTS present to internists because of redness in the eye. The possible causes range from benign (which generally can be handled by an internist) to visionthreatening (which need prompt or emergency referral to an ophthalmologist). This article, a primer on red eye for the internist, reviews the conditions that can cause this ocular sign—the ones that internists can comfortably manage and the ones that are best managed by an eye specialist (TABLE 1).