PREVALENCE OF FUNGAL KERATITIS FROM TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL FROM WESTERN PART OF INDIA

Introduction: Corneal diseases are a major cause of vision loss and blindness, and caused by bacteria, fungi and protozoa. However, within the topics, as many as two third of ulcer may be due to filamentous fungi and distribution may vary considerably between continents and countries and also within countries. It is essential to determine the local etiology within a given region when planning a corneal ulcer management strategy. Aim: To identify local etiology for corneal ulceration at a tertiary care hospital in western India during a period of Jan 2007 to Dec 2010. Methods: Patients clinically suspected of microbial keratitis were recruited in the study. Corneal ulceration was defined as a loss corneal epithelium with clinical evidence of infection with or without hypopyon. Microscopy and culture were performed by standard conventional method.Result: Of 271 patients investigated fungal etiology was established in 68 (25.9%) of which 48(70.58%) were males. Among the fungal isolates, filamentous fungi, ie 53(77.94%) were predominant. Among these 24(45.28 %) were Aspergillus flavus followed by A. fumigates 9(16.98%) and Fusarium spp. 8(15.9%). Of the 15 isolates of yeasts, Non Candida albicans were identified in 9(60%) cases. Conclusion: Infection by filamentous fungi are frequent cause of corneal damage in tropical developing countries and are difficult to treat. Microscopy and culture is an essential tool in the diagnosis of such infections. Knowledge of the “local” etiology within a region is of value in the management of suppurative keratitis.