Abstract
Background: To compare the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of microbiologically proven fungal keratitis between prior topical steroid users (PS) and no prior topical steroid users (NPS).
Methods: Eighty-three cases with microbiologically proven fungal keratitis between January 2000 and December 2016 were reviewed retrospectively. Diagnosis of fungal keratitis was made through potassium hydroxide smear, culture, PCR, or biopsy. Baseline epidemiology, predisposing factors, clinical characteristics, microbiological profiles, and treatment outcomes were evaluated and compared between the PS and NPS groups. The treatment failure was defined as any case with complications or requiring surgery. The risk factors for treatment failure were evaluated on the bases of the total cohort and analyzed using multivariate logistic regression.
Results: A total of 30 cases with PS group and 53 cases with NPS group were included. In those, sixteen fungal isolates were identified in the PS group and 14 isolates in the NPS group. Candida was the most common organism in both groups (6 cases, respectively), while the Aspergillus (4 cases) was found only in the PS group (p=0.103). No significant differences were observed in mean age, sex, occupational distribution, epithelial defect size, hypopyon, and presenting BCVA between the two groups. Differences were observed between the PS and NPS groups in the cases of previous ocular surface disease (43.3% vs. 22.6%, p=0.048) and deep infiltration (53.3% vs. 32.1%, p=0.057). Regarding treatment outcomes, final BCVA <0.1 (60% vs. 44.2%, p=0.133), the use of voriconazole (topical 10% vs. 0%, p=0.044; systemic 23.3% vs. 1.9%, p=0.003), surgical intervention (43.3% vs. 20.8%, p=0.029) and treatment failure (46.7% vs. 22.6%, p=0.023) were more common in the PS group than in the NPS group. The risk factors for treatment failure were hypopyon (odds 6.01, p=0.005), deep infiltration (odds 4.38, p=0.013), prior topical steroid use (odds 2.79, p=0.091), and previous ocular surface disease (odds 2.82, p=0.093).
Conclusions: The PS group was more associated with previous ocular surface disease and deep infiltration when compared with the NPS group. Treatment progresses and treatment results were worse in the PS group. Careful attention should be paid to the use of steroids in clinical practice.