Background: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis is a recurrent seasonal bilateral disease and poorly respond to conventional therapies. Present study reveal our experience with the low dose topical mitomycine-c in the treatment of sever vernal keratoconjunctivitis refractory to conventional therapy in Shiraz in 2000.

Materials and Methods: In this placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial 58 patients were randomly assigned to treatment with topical 0.01% mitomycine-c eye drops (n=31) and placebo (n=27) three times daily for 2 weeks. Symptoms (Including itching photophobia tearing mucous discharge, foreign body sensation) and signs (Conjunctival hyperemia, epithelial conjunctival giant papillae) of vernal keratoconjunctivitis recorded at the day of enrollment and at the end of the treatment period.

Results: There was a statistically significant decrease in the signs and symptoms 2 weeks following the mitomycine-c administration. In addition one of the treated patient and 26 of the subjects of the placebo group required medication during the first 4 weeks following the treatment (P<0.001). Therapy was discontinued in two patients because of drug side effects.

Conclusion: Short term low dose topical mitomycine-c may considered in the acute exacerbation periods of patients with severe vernal keratoconjunctivitis refractory to conventional treatment.