Keratitis Flashcards
Keratitis
Inflammation of the cornea
Causes of keratitis
Viral - herpes simplex
Bacterial infection -pseudomonas or staphylococcus
Fungal infection with candida or aspergillus
Contact lens acute red eye (CLARE)
Exposure keratitis
Inadequate eyelid coverage (e.g. eyelid ectropion) causing keratitis
Seen in thyroid eye disease
Most common cause of keratitis
Herpes simplex virus - Herpes simplex keratitis
Herpes simplex keratitis
Can cause inflammation in any part of the eye but most commonly affects the epithelial layer of the cornea.
Can be primary or recurrent.
Stromal keratitis
Inflammation of the stroma (the layer between the epithelium and endothelium)
Complications of stromal keratitis
Stromal necrosis
Vascularisation and scarring
Can lead to corneal blindness.
Presentation of keratosis
Painful red eye
Photophobia
Vesicles around the eye
Foreign body sensation
Watering eye
Reduced visual acuity (subtle to significant)
Cold sores - associated with herpes simplex virus
Diagnosis of keratosis
Fluorescein stain - dendritic corneal ulcer
Slit-lamp examination required
Corneal swabs or scrapings - viral culture or PCR
Dendritic corneal ulcer
Appearance of branching and spreading of the ulcer with fluorescein stain
Management of keratosis
Aciclovir (topical or oral) - 5 times a day for 1 week
Ganciclovir eye gel
Stromal keratitis -topical steroids with antivirals
When might a corneal transplant be required
Corneal scarring caused by stromal keratitis
Risk factor for keratitis
Contact lenses
