What follow-up care is necessary for patients diagnosed with episcleritis to monitor for recurrence?

Follow-up care for patients diagnosed with episcleritis primarily involves monitoring for recurrence and ensuring no progression to more serious ocular inflammation such as uveitis.

Patients with episcleritis should be advised to seek prompt ophthalmology review if symptoms recur, particularly if there is eye pain, redness, or visual changes, to exclude progression to uveitis or other complications.

Routine follow-up in primary care is generally not required unless the patient experiences recurrent episodes, in which case referral to ophthalmology for assessment and monitoring may be appropriate.

Because episcleritis is usually self-limiting and benign, the main focus is on patient education about symptom recognition and timely referral rather than scheduled follow-up visits.

In cases where topical corticosteroids are prescribed, patients should be under ophthalmologist care to monitor for adverse effects such as raised intraocular pressure (glaucoma).

Overall, follow-up care is tailored to the individual, with ophthalmology involvement if recurrence or complications occur.

References: This approach aligns with the management principles for ocular inflammatory conditions such as uveitis, where specialist follow-up is essential to monitor treatment efficacy and complications, including corticosteroid-induced glaucoma ¹.