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Risk factors, clinical features and outcomes of Neisseria keratitis

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Abstract

Objective

To describe the clinical features, risk factors and outcomes of Neisseria keratitis.

Methods

This is a retrospective observational study wherein medical records of cases with microbiologically proven Neisseria keratitis were reviewed. Data pertaining to the underlying predisposing factors, clinical characteristics of the corneal ulcer, antibiotic susceptibility of the Neisseria species isolate from the corneal scraping, the treatment given, and outcomes were collected and analyzed.

Results

Medical records of 60 patients (60 eyes) with Neisseria keratitis were reviewed. Among the causes of poor ocular surface as predisposing factor, vernal keratoconjunctivitis (n = 6 eyes), along with use of topical corticosteroids (n = 18 eyes) was the most common. The ulcer was characterized by a central infiltrate (31/60, 51.7%) involving up to the mid-stroma (43/60, 71.7%). Of the forty-four (73.3%) eyes with pure Neisseria keratitis, 31 eyes (72.1%) resolved with medical therapy alone while five eyes (11.6%) underwent therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty and in two (4.6%) eyes evisceration was performed. The other 5/44 (11.6%) patients were lost to follow-up. Resolution with medical therapy was found to be similar in cases with pure infection and mixed infection (p = 0.58).

Conclusions

Neisseria keratitis most commonly causes a mild form of keratitis and is often associated with the poor ocular surface or prior steroid use. In most cases medical therapy is sufficient for complete resolution of the keratitis.

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Funding

Indian Alliance CRTP Grant, Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Cornea Institute, Indian Health Outcomes Public Health and Economic Research (IHOPE) Centre, L V Prasad Eye Institute, L V Prasad Marg, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500034, India

    Bhupesh Bagga

  2. The Cornea Institute, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India

    Anahita Kate, Khuraman Ramazanova & Vineet Joshi

  3. Ophthalmic Biophysics, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India

    Ashik Mohamed

  4. Jhaveri Microbiology Centre, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India

    Savitri Sharma

Authors
  1. Anahita Kate
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  2. Bhupesh Bagga
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  3. Khuraman Ramazanova
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  4. Vineet Joshi
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  5. Ashik Mohamed
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  6. Savitri Sharma
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Contributions

BB contributed to the conception, design and revision of the study. AK, KR, AM and VJ contributed to data collection, analysis and manuscript writing. SS contributed to the design of the study and manuscript writing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bhupesh Bagga.

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Conflicts of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

Ethical approval

This study has been approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee (LEC 09–13-077).

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Consent to publish has been obtained from all patients.

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Kate, A., Bagga, B., Ramazanova, K. et al. Risk factors, clinical features and outcomes of Neisseria keratitis. Int Ophthalmol 41, 3361–3369 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-021-01898-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-021-01898-8

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