Clinico-Mycological
Analysis of Ocular Infections in Immunocompetent vs. Immunocompromised Patients
Natarajan V., Akhila Kalyani A., Dhanapal Nandini, Selvan Pavithra and Venkatesan
Balamurali
Res. J. Biotech.; Vol. 20(6); 147-151;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/206rjbt1470151; (2025)
Abstract
Fungal pathogens have a crucial role in causing eye infections worldwide, which
can often result in avoiding blindness. The use of corticosteroids has contributed
to the recent surge in occurrences of fungal keratitis. The aim of this study was
to determine the occurrence of ocular fungal infections in patients with immunocompetent
and immunosuppressed patients. The study divided 184 case into two groups: immunocompetent
and immunocompromised. We directly examined collected clinical samples under a microscope
using a KOH mount and a modified LPCB mount, before exposing them to fungal culture.
These diagnostic techniques made it easier to identify fungal species in the samples.
Both groups showed keratitis as the most common clinical symptom. In patients with
a normal immune system, trauma was the main factor that made them more susceptible
to the condition, whereas in patients with a weakened immune system, systemic candidiasis
was the most common contributing factor.
Fusarium was the predominant causal agent in immunocompetent patients while immunocompromised
individuals more frequently observed Candida and Aspergillus species. These findings
emphasise the need to take into account a patient's immunological condition when
diagnosing and treating ocular fungal infections. This calls for additional research
to improve treatment approaches and to evaluate antifungal susceptibility on a broader
level.
