American Journal of Ophthalmology ( IF 4.2 ) Pub Date : 2022-08-03 , DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2022.07.023 Xin Jin 1 , Jiaoyang Feng 1 , Naiyu Sun 1 , Hao Jin 2 , Jingrao Wang 1 , Zhen Song 1 , Nan Zhang 1 , Ying Liu 1 , Hong Zhang 1
PURPOSE
To report the epidemiologic features, laboratory findings, and treatment outcomes of patients with fungal keratitis (FK) during a busy farming period (May, June, and September to November) in Heilongjiang Province, China.
DESIGN
Retrospective, observational case series.
METHODS
In total, 251 patients diagnosed with FK at the Eye Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, from 2017 to 2021 were identified. Medical records were retrospectively analyzed, and demographic features, risk factors, monthly distributions, clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, treatment strategies, and prognostic data were collected.
RESULTS
The number of FK cases in the busy farming period accounted for 74.1% (186/251) of the total. The mean patient age was 58.2±9.5 years. Males (66.7%) were more likely to develop FK than females (33.3%), and plant-related trauma was the main cause in 80.1% (149/186) of the cases. The most common causative fungal species was Fusarium (34.9%). In vivo confocal microscopy had the highest positivity rate for FK diagnosis (94.6%). The depth of hypopyon, depth of hyphae or spores, and infiltrate width were significantly positively correlated with delayed presentation.
CONCLUSIONS
Patients with a longer time of presentation to the hospital were more likely to undergo surgery because of topical medical therapy failure. The most important measures for FK prevention are the use of eye protection during outdoor work and visiting the hospital for treatment as soon as possible after eye injury.