Demographic, Epidemiological and Etiological Characteristics of Fungal Keratitis Cases in Southern Anatolia Tertiary Eye Care Center

Abstract

To evaluate the demographic, epidemiological and etiological characterisitics of fungal keratitis cases in our tertiary eye care center located in the Eastern Mediterraen coast of South Anatolia.A retrospective review of all culture-proven fungal keratitis seen from May 2017 to May 2019 was performed. The demographic features, predisposing factors, associated systemic and ocular characteristics, and microbiological analysis results of cases were evaluated. The mean age of 15 cases with fungal keratitis was 46±7 years (range: 19-77 years) with a male-to-female ratio of 4:1. The majority of the occupations of the cases were agricultural workers or farmers (73%). The etiology was predominantly trauma mostly with an environmental origin (93.3%). Fungal growth was detected in 15 eyes (38.5%) in a total of 39 microbial positive corneal cultures. Filamentous fungi were responsible for all cases, including Fusarium sp. in 8 eyes (53.3%) and Aspergillus sp. in 7 eyes (46.7%). Species of Fusarium were determined in 4 eyes, namely F. Aquaeductus, F. Chlamydosporum, F. oxysporum and F. solani; whereas species of Aspergillus were determined in 3 eyes, namely A. niger and A. flavus. Bacterial and fungal coinfection was shown in two eyes (Aspergillus sp. with Gram (+) beta hemolytic streptococcus; Fusarium sp. with Pseudomonas orzyihabitans). The results of this study, which determines the characteristics of fungal keratitis cases encountered in the Eastern Mediterranean coasts of Southern Anatolia may be useful in the early diagnosis of the disease, in the timely and appropriate empirical treatment of the patients living in this region.