Early referral crucial for managing infectious keratitis in infants, new study finds

Early diagnosis and prompt intervention are crucial for managing infectious keratitis in infants, as medical treatments alone are often insufficient, and nearly a quarter of cases may require surgical procedures to resolve severe corneal infections, according to a study.

The study reviewed 57 cases of pediatric infectious keratitis in children aged between 1 and 24 months.

Researchers identified predisposing factors in 68.4% of the cases. Common causes included prior ocular trauma, previous intraocular surgery, and ocular surface diseases. Corneal thinning was observed in nearly 51% of the cases, with 22.8% progressing to corneal perforation. In addition, 3 cases of endophthalmitis were reported.

The study’s microbial analysis found that Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common pathogen in pediatric infectious keratitis, present in 11 of 21 cultures, while Candida albicans was found only once. The combined ceftazidime and vancomycin treatment showed 100% effectiveness in vitro against the infections.

Surgical interventions were necessary for 61.4% of the cases, and 26.3% of the eyes required tectonic procedures to manage the corneal infections.

Reference
Soleimani M, Baharnoori SM, Ghafarian S, et al. Infectious keratitis in pediatric population aged less than two years: a tertiary eye institute experience. J Ophthalmic Inflamm Infect. 2024;14(1):33. doi: 10.1186/s12348-024-00414-0. PMID: 39008027.