PROFILE OF KERATOMYCOSIS IN A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL IN WESTERN UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA
Introduction- Fungal keratitis or keratomycosis refers to an infective process of the cornea caused by fungi capable of invading the ocular surface. Aims & Objectives-i) To determine the frequency of fungal keratitis in clinically diagnosed cases ii)To identify the aetiological agents of keratomycosis. iii) To assess the precipitating factors associated with it. Method- A retrospective data of 2 years was analyzed to study the number of cases of fungal keratitis, from among the corneal scrapings submitted to the Department of Microbiology, examined for the presence of fungal elements by direct microscopic methods and for the fungal growth in culture. Results-The frequency of fungal keratitis in clinically diagnosed cases was 28.6 %. Among the positive cases, males outnumbered females with the ratio of 1.67:1. The maximum number of positive cases were seen in the age group of 21-30 years, followed by the age groups of 31-40 years and 11-20 years. The most common cause of fungal keratitis was Aspergillus flavus (31.25 %), followed by Aspergillus fumigatus (18.75 %), Fusarium solani and Candida albicans (12.5 % each ), and Cladophialophora bantiana, Curvularia, Mucor and Candida tropicalis (6.25 % each ). Aspergillus species were found to be isolated from 50% of cases of keratomycosis. Filamentous fungi were predominantly associated with mycotic keratitis, accounting for 81.25% of cases, as compared to yeasts which had caused keratitis in 18.75% of cases. Amongst the cases of keratomycosis, all were positive for fungal growth on culture, out of which 81.25% cases were also positive for the presence of fungal elements on direct microscopy. Discussion: Keratomycosis is the leading cause of ocular morbidity worldwide, including India. Fungal agents causing keratitis should receive special attention due to their opportunistic behaviour and indolent course of disease. Lack of early diagnosis and treatment prelude the onset of complications, which may compromise the patient’s vision and thereby the quality of life. Conclusion: Regular surveillance and scrutiny of mycotic keratitis is important and essential to understand the pattern of fungi, existing or emerging, so as to prevent the unnecessary and irrational usage of antibiotics.