ESCRS - PP06.10 - Analysis Of Fungal Keratitis Due To Non-Sporulating Moulds In A Tertiary Care Hospital

Analysis Of Fungal Keratitis Due To Non-Sporulating Moulds In A Tertiary Care Hospital

Published 2024 - 42nd Congress of the ESCRS

Reference: PP06.10 | Type: Free paper | DOI: 10.82333/3088-dn75

Authors: Meena Lakshmipathy* 1 , Dhanurekha Lakshmipathy 2 , Mridula Vijayaraghavan 1

1cornea and refractive services,Medical research Foundation,chennai,India, 2Microbiology,Medical research Foundation,chennai,India

Purpose

To study the demography, risk factors, clinical presentation, microbiological profile , and outcomes of patients with keratitis caused by Non sporulating moulds, and reporting to a tertiary care Centre in South India between 2016 and 2023

Setting

The study was conducted at teriary  ophthalmological   tertiary carel center  in South india with referral laboratory services

Methods

The study was a hospital-based, retrospective, observational study.

The study population included 18 eyes of 18 patients, who presented between the years 2016 and 2023

Results

 Non perforated non suppurative infection was most common presentation 7 (66.6%).  The organism was detected on corneal scraping (15), corneal button (2) and Vitreous aspirate(1).The most common organism detected was Lasiodiplodia theobromae in 3 patients followed by Botryosphaeria dothida, Humicola fuscoatra,Medicopsis romeroi in 2 patients each. 9 patients (50%) were managed surgically with a therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty. The average time taken for resolution of the infection with medical management was 47 days. Recurrence post graft was in 2 patients. Mean follow up in this study was 173 days. BCVA at last follow up was 6/60 in 4 patients. Anatomical integrity was seen in 7patients (77.7%).

Conclusions

 Non sporulating molds are increasingly recognised as a etiology for fungal keratitis that are not recognised by conventional microbilogical techniques. Moreover, there are numerous morphologic mimics of fungus and the level of
reporting often limited to genus level. Under these circumstances, molecular identification
by PCR based DNA sequencing targeting ITS region of NSM plays a major and critical role in
accurate identification of the fungus.