Review
Infectious Diseases
Lottie Brown, Astrid K. Leck, Michael Gichangi, Matthew J. Burton, David W. Denning
Summary: Fungal keratitis is a severe corneal infection that can lead to blindness and eye loss. It is most prevalent in tropical and subtropical climates, often affecting young agricultural workers of low socioeconomic status. Based on literature review, the highest incidence rates are in Asia and Africa, with a global annual impact on over a million people.
LANCET INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jeremy J. Hoffman, Reena Yadav, Sandip Das Sanyam, Pankaj Chaudhary, Abhishek Roshan, Sanjay K. Singh, Sailesh K. Mishra, Simon Arunga, Victor H. Hu, David Macleod, Astrid Leck, Matthew J. Burton
Summary: This study describes the health-seeking journey for patients with microbial keratitis in Nepal and identifies factors associated with delay.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Ophthalmology
Roxane Olivier, Juliette Knoeri, Loic Leveziel, Pierre Negrier, Cristina Georgeon, Alfred Kobal, Nacim Bouheraoua, Christophe Baudouin, Jean-Philippe Nordmann, Francoise Brignole-Baudouin, Lilia Merabet, Vincent Borderie
Summary: This study compared documented fungal keratitis cases in a French tertiary ophthalmological center from 2014 to 2018 with those from 1993 to 2008. It found that the frequency of filamentous keratomycosis is increasing, with poor clinical outcomes associated with elderly patients and the presence of numerous filaments in IVCM.
ACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Caitlin A. Moe, Prajna Lalitha, N. Venkatesh Prajna, Jeena Mascarenhas, Muthiah Srinivasan, Manoranhan Das, Arun Panigrahi, Revathi Rajaraman, Gerami D. Seitzman, Catherine E. Oldenburg, Thomas M. Lietman, Jeremy D. Keenan
Summary: Acanthamoeba keratitis is more difficult to treat and has worse clinical outcomes compared to bacterial or fungal ulcers.
Review
Microbiology
Jeremy J. Hoffman, Simon Arunga, Abeer H. A. Mohamed Ahmed, Victor H. Hu, Matthew J. Burton
Summary: Filamentous fungal keratitis is difficult to treat, and the first-line treatment is usually topical natamycin. Surgical therapy may be required for severe cases, and alternative treatments are not always effective.
Article
Mycology
Alexandra Mpakosi, Maria Siopi, Georgia Vrioni, Maria Orfanidou, Athina Argyropoulou, Myrto Christofidou, Maria Kostoula, Stamatina Golegou, Anastasia Antoniadou, Eleni Vagiakou, Eleni Petrou, Evangelia Platsouka, Eleni Papadogeorgaki, Joseph Meletiadis, Irini Chatziralli, Panagiotis Theodossiadis, Georgios Petrikkos, Maria Drogari-Apiranthitou
Summary: Filamentous fungal keratitis in Greece is rare, with a female to male ratio of 1:1.7 and a median age of 48 years. Corneal injury by plant material and soft contact lens use are the main risk factors. Fusarium species are the most frequently isolated fungi, with different species associated with different risk factors. Antifungal therapy with voriconazole and Amphotericin B has a cure/improvement rate of 52%.
Article
Ophthalmology
Simmy Chaudhary, Anahita Kate, Bhupesh Bagga, Ashik Mohamed, Savitri Sharma
Summary: This retrospective study analyzed the clinical and microbiological records of Curvularia, Alternaria, and Scedosporium keratitis cases. The results indicated that larger size of the infiltrate, posterior stromal involvement, and presence of a hypopyon were poor prognostic indicators, while species variation did not predict clinical resolution.
Article
Immunology
Lingwen Gu, Jing Lin, Qian Wang, Lina Zhang, Min Yin, Hao Lin, Hengrui Zheng, Guiqiu Zhao, Cui Li
Summary: This study investigated the therapeutic role of dimethyl fumarate (DMF) in fungal keratitis. The results showed that DMF can limit the growth and biofilm formation of Aspergillus fumigatus, as well as reduce the conidial adherence and corneal fungal loads. Additionally, DMF attenuated corneal inflammation by suppressing inflammatory cell accumulation and downregulating cytokine expression.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ophthalmology
Hon Shing Ong, Namrata Sharma, Lynette M. Phee, Jodhbir S. Mehta
Summary: Atypical microbial keratitis refers to uncommon corneal infections caused by micro-organisms, and it is associated with worse outcomes and prognosis compared to infections caused by common bacteria. This is due to challenges in identifying the causative organisms and limited literature on effective management strategies. This review focuses on the management and evidence of atypical microbial keratitis, providing guidance for clinicians in managing these challenging corneal infections.
Article
Microbiology
Ming-Tse Kuo, Shiuh-Liang Hsu, Huey-Ling You, Shu-Fang Kuo, Po-Chiung Fang, Hun-Ju Yu, Alexander Chen, Chia-Yi Tseng, Yu-Hsuan Lai, Jiunn-Liang Chen
Summary: Fungal keratitis (FK) is a common microbial keratitis that often leads to poor prognosis due to delayed diagnosis. A novel dot hybridization array (DHA) has been developed to diagnose FK and differentiate different types of FK, which can aid in selecting effective anti-fungal regimens.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mahmoud Essalat, Mohammad Abolhosseini, Thanh Huy Le, Seyed Mohamadmehdi Moshtaghion, Mozhgan Rezaei Kanavi
Summary: This study introduces a deep learning model that provides automated diagnostic assistance for infectious keratitis via confocal microscopy images, particularly in the early detection of acanthamoeba keratitis and fungal keratitis.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Jeremy J. Hoffman, Reena Yadav, Sandip Das Sanyam, Pankaj Chaudhary, Abhishek Roshan, Sanjay Kumar Singh, Simon Arunga, Victor H. Hu, David Macleod, Astrid Leck, Matthew J. Burton
Summary: This study investigated the clinical and epidemiological features of microbial keratitis in Nepal and developed a predictor score to determine the microbial aetiology. Fungal infection was found to be the main cause of keratitis, with dematiaceous fungi being particularly prevalent. Serrated infiltrate margins, patent nasolacrimal duct, raised corneal slough, and organic trauma were identified as independent predictors of fungal keratitis.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Shakeel Ahmad Khan, Sammia Shahid, Tahir Mahmood, Chun-Sing Lee
Summary: Contact lenses are widely used for visual corrections, but may cause discomfort and infections. The development of multifunctional contact lenses coated with gallic acid, zinc oxide nanoparticles, and tobramycin using sonochemical technique showed significant antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties, along with good cytocompatibility and antifouling ability.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2021)
Article
Ophthalmology
Jeremy J. Hoffman, John K. G. Dart, Surjo K. De, Nicole Carnt, Georgia Cleary, Scott Hau
Summary: This study evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of PCR, IVCM, and culture in diagnosing MK, finding IVCM to be the most sensitive technique for AK and FK diagnosis, while culture remains the gold standard for BK. With FK and AK becoming common in the UK, ophthalmology units need to have access to all these techniques to optimize their management of MK.
Article
Ophthalmology
Himanshu Sekhara Behera, Deepankar Srigyan
Summary: The study highlights the potential of PCR as a powerful tool for the early and definitive diagnosis of fungal keratitis in high-risk patients. By comparing PCR with traditional microbial studies, it was found that PCR was able to detect fungal pathogens in a high proportion of culture-negative cases, providing a rapid and high-throughput means of identification.
OPTOMETRY AND VISION SCIENCE
(2021)