Retrospective Evaluation of Potassium Hydroxide Mounts and Fungal Cultures in Suspected Mycotic Keratitis at a Tertiary Eye Care Center in South India

Aim To evaluate the diagnostic utility of Potassium Hydroxide KOH wet mounts and fungal cultures FC in clinically suspected mycotic keratitis cases.Methods A retrospective study was conducted analyzing microbiological records of 150 patients with suspected mycotic keratitis from...

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Main Authors: Swetha Mallagundla, Samyakta Shetti, Vidhya S Eswaran, Shraddha Sudarshan, Umme Kulsum, Swetha Shubraj, Mohsina Mekhri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences 2024-01-01
Series:RGUHS National Journal of Public Health
Online Access:https://journalgrid.com/view/article/rnjph/12434291
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author Swetha Mallagundla
Samyakta Shetti
Vidhya S Eswaran
Shraddha Sudarshan
Umme Kulsum
Swetha Shubraj
Mohsina Mekhri
author_facet Swetha Mallagundla
Samyakta Shetti
Vidhya S Eswaran
Shraddha Sudarshan
Umme Kulsum
Swetha Shubraj
Mohsina Mekhri
author_sort Swetha Mallagundla
collection DOAJ
description Aim To evaluate the diagnostic utility of Potassium Hydroxide KOH wet mounts and fungal cultures FC in clinically suspected mycotic keratitis cases.Methods A retrospective study was conducted analyzing microbiological records of 150 patients with suspected mycotic keratitis from November 2016 to November 2017 at a tertiary eye care center in South India. Fungal cultures were performed on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar for at least three weeks. KOH wet mounts were conducted on 87 samples while 63 were untested due to drying 37 or insufficient sample volume 26. Demographic data KOH results fungal cultures and species isolated were analyzed using SPSS software version 2.0 applying the Pearson Chi-Square test P lt0.05 considered significant.Results Patients ranged in age from 2 to 89 years with a higher prevalence of males n90 compared to females n60. KOH wet mounts were positive in 24 27.6 and negative in 63 72.4 samples. Fungal cultures were positive in 84 cases 56 and negative in 66 44. Among the 24 KOH-positive samples 17 also had positive fungal cultures while 7 showed no fungal growth. Fusarium was the most commonly isolated species followed by Aspergillus.Conclusion The KOH wet mount serves as a rapid diagnostic tool for detecting fungal hyphae in mycotic keratitis with a greater likelihood of fungal isolation in KOH-positive cases. However a negative KOH result does not rule out fungal culture positivity. High clinical suspicion is crucial in treating corneal ulcers given the burden of fungal infections as a leading cause of mycotic keratitis in developing countries.
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spelling doaj-art-2d4b8fc2224f49279d7448b15898fa442025-01-07T18:49:42ZengRajiv Gandhi University of Health SciencesRGUHS National Journal of Public Health2584-04602024-01-019410.26463/rnjph.9_4_6Retrospective Evaluation of Potassium Hydroxide Mounts and Fungal Cultures in Suspected Mycotic Keratitis at a Tertiary Eye Care Center in South IndiaSwetha MallagundlaSamyakta ShettiVidhya S EswaranShraddha SudarshanUmme KulsumSwetha ShubrajMohsina Mekhri Aim To evaluate the diagnostic utility of Potassium Hydroxide KOH wet mounts and fungal cultures FC in clinically suspected mycotic keratitis cases.Methods A retrospective study was conducted analyzing microbiological records of 150 patients with suspected mycotic keratitis from November 2016 to November 2017 at a tertiary eye care center in South India. Fungal cultures were performed on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar for at least three weeks. KOH wet mounts were conducted on 87 samples while 63 were untested due to drying 37 or insufficient sample volume 26. Demographic data KOH results fungal cultures and species isolated were analyzed using SPSS software version 2.0 applying the Pearson Chi-Square test P lt0.05 considered significant.Results Patients ranged in age from 2 to 89 years with a higher prevalence of males n90 compared to females n60. KOH wet mounts were positive in 24 27.6 and negative in 63 72.4 samples. Fungal cultures were positive in 84 cases 56 and negative in 66 44. Among the 24 KOH-positive samples 17 also had positive fungal cultures while 7 showed no fungal growth. Fusarium was the most commonly isolated species followed by Aspergillus.Conclusion The KOH wet mount serves as a rapid diagnostic tool for detecting fungal hyphae in mycotic keratitis with a greater likelihood of fungal isolation in KOH-positive cases. However a negative KOH result does not rule out fungal culture positivity. High clinical suspicion is crucial in treating corneal ulcers given the burden of fungal infections as a leading cause of mycotic keratitis in developing countries.https://journalgrid.com/view/article/rnjph/12434291
spellingShingle Swetha Mallagundla
Samyakta Shetti
Vidhya S Eswaran
Shraddha Sudarshan
Umme Kulsum
Swetha Shubraj
Mohsina Mekhri
Retrospective Evaluation of Potassium Hydroxide Mounts and Fungal Cultures in Suspected Mycotic Keratitis at a Tertiary Eye Care Center in South India
RGUHS National Journal of Public Health
title Retrospective Evaluation of Potassium Hydroxide Mounts and Fungal Cultures in Suspected Mycotic Keratitis at a Tertiary Eye Care Center in South India
title_full Retrospective Evaluation of Potassium Hydroxide Mounts and Fungal Cultures in Suspected Mycotic Keratitis at a Tertiary Eye Care Center in South India
title_fullStr Retrospective Evaluation of Potassium Hydroxide Mounts and Fungal Cultures in Suspected Mycotic Keratitis at a Tertiary Eye Care Center in South India
title_full_unstemmed Retrospective Evaluation of Potassium Hydroxide Mounts and Fungal Cultures in Suspected Mycotic Keratitis at a Tertiary Eye Care Center in South India
title_short Retrospective Evaluation of Potassium Hydroxide Mounts and Fungal Cultures in Suspected Mycotic Keratitis at a Tertiary Eye Care Center in South India
title_sort retrospective evaluation of potassium hydroxide mounts and fungal cultures in suspected mycotic keratitis at a tertiary eye care center in south india
url https://journalgrid.com/view/article/rnjph/12434291
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