CLINICAL ANALYSIS OF CANDIDA SPECIES KERATITIS: PREDISPOSING FACTORS, CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND TREATMENT OUTCOMES IN A TERTIARY REFERRAL CENTER OF SOUTH KOREA
Published 2024 - 28th ESCRS Winter Meeting
Reference: P114 | Type: Submission | DOI: 10.82333/njen-1v84
Authors: Sang-Bumm Lee* 1 , Chan-Ho Cho 2 , Won Mo Gu 3
1Ophthalmology,Yeungnam University College of Medicine,Daegu,Korea, Republic Of, 2Ophthalmology,Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital,Busan,Korea, Republic Of, 3Ophthalmology,Changwon Fatima Hospital,Changwon,Korea, Republic Of
Purpose
To investigate the epidemiology, predisposing factors, clinical characteristics, and treatment results of Candida species keratitis.
Setting
Retrospective, consecutive study. All of study case were taken by Department of Ophthalmology, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, South Korea.
Methods
Overall 18 eyes in 18 patients were included who were diagnosed with Candida species keratitis (C. albicans, 9 eyes; other Candida species, 9 eyes) through corneal culture and were hospitalized. The epidemiology, predisposing factors, initial clinical characteristics, and treatment outcomes were analyzed retrospectively. Treatment success (TS) was defined as the successful healing of corneal lesions after medical therapy. Treatment failure (TF) was defined as cases in which complete epithelial healing was not achieved through medical treatment alone, complications such as corneal perforation and endophthalmitis occurred, or surgical treatments were performed.
Results
The mean age was 67.5 years, mean symptom duration was 23.9 days, and polymicrobial infections were observed in 7 eyes (39%). Common predisposing factors and initial clinical characteristics were previous ocular surface disease (44%), corneal trauma (44%), prior topical steroid use (39%), round infiltration (72%), hypopyon (44%), and initial BCVA < 0.1 (72%). Treatment outcomes showed that the epithelial healing time was 23.5 days, final BCVA < 0.1 in 12 eyes (75%), and TS in 6 eyes (35%). Surgical treatments were performed in 11 eyes (61%), five of which underwent evisceration or enucleation. The TF group had more prior topical steroid use (64% vs. 0%, p = 0.04) and longer symptom duration (31.3 vs. 13.5 days, p = 0.08) than the TS group.
Conclusion
Our results showed that Candida species keratitis is associated with old age, previous ocular disease, and surgical treatment. Compared with the group in which successful outcomes were achieved, the treatment failure group was associated with prior topical steroid use and longer symptom duration.