The clinical differentiation of bacterial and fungal keratitis: a photographic survey.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine whether clinical signs of infectious keratitis can be used to identify the causative organism.

Methods

Eighty photographs of eyes with culture-proven bacterial keratitis or smear-proven fungal keratitis were randomly selected from 2 clinical trials. Fifteen cornea specialists from the F. I. Proctor Foundation and the Aravind Eye Care System assessed the photographs for prespecified clinical signs of keratitis, and they identified the most likely causative organism.

Results

Clinicians were able to correctly distinguish bacterial from fungal etiology 66% of the time (P < 0.001). The Gram stain, genus, and species were accurately predicted 46%, 25%, and 10% of the time, respectively. The presence of an irregular/feathery

SUBMITTER: Dalmon C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3342793 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature