THELAZIA CALIFORNIENSIS CONJUNCTIVAL INFESTATION

There are few reports of Thelazia californiensis infestation in humans in the literature. The authors report the clinical and histopathologi c features of two patients who presented with symptoms of a mild unila teral chronic conjunctivitis from infestation by this parasite. In eac h case, the symptoms resolved immediately after removal of the worms. These are the first two patients from the Rocky Mountain area to be de scribed with an infection from this particular worm. T. californiensis should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients with chr onic conjunctivitis following hiking or camping in the mountains or ba ck-country.