Purpose: To compare the severity of corneal disease and complications associated with pediatric blepharokeratoconjunctivitis (PBKC) as well as barriers to care in Hispanic and non-Hispanic children.
Methods: The medical records of all children <18 years of age who met broadened PBKC spectrum criteria at Children's Hospital Colorado between 2019 and 2024 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients self-reported as Hispanic or non-Hispanic ethnicity. Data were collected on patient demographics, corneal disease severity, and adverse outcomes associated with PBKC at the time of diagnosis and worst stage during their care.
Results: A total of 405 records were reviewed. Of these, 175 children with PBKC were included, with 116 (66.3%) identifying as Hispanic, 52 (29.7%) as non-Hispanic, and 7 (4.0%) with unknown or unreported ethnicity. Hispanic children were more likely to have moderate and severe corneal disease at their worst stage than non-Hispanic children (P < 0.001). A higher proportion of Hispanic children required interpreter services (P < 0.001), lacked private insurance (P < 0.001), and resided in areas with lower median incomes (P = 0.004) and overall childhood opportunity indices (P < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed moderate and severe corneal disease at the worst stage was associated only with Hispanic ethnicity (OR = 3.31; 95% CI, 1.53-7.14; P = 0.002).
Conclusions: In our patient cohort, Hispanic children are more frequently affected by PBKC, with worse corneal disease, in addition to, and independent of, experiencing differing social determinants of health compared with non-Hispanic children.
Copyright © 2026. Published by Elsevier Inc.