Comparison of culture, confocal microscopy and PCR in routine hospital use for microbial keratitis diagnosis.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) and culture for microbial keratitis (MK) diagnosis.

Methods

Retrospective review of PCR, IVCM and culture results for MK diagnosis at Moorfields Eye Hospital between August 2013 and December 2014.

Results

PCR results were available for 259 MK patients with concurrent culture for 203/259 and IVCM for 149/259. Sensitivities and specificities with 95% confidence intervals [95% CI] were calculated for Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) and fungal keratitis (FK), by comparison with culture, for both IVCM and PCR. For AK, FK and bacterial keratitis (BK) sensitivities were calculated, for each diagnostic method, by comparison with a composite reference standard (a

SUBMITTER: Hoffman JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9581916 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature