title: Distinguishing infective versus noninfective keratitis.
abstract: For the purpose of this symposium, the term "keratitis" implies suppurative nonviral and viral keratitis. Corneal ulcers have been described in ancient literature. But even today, despite the availability of a wide range of newer antimicrobials and new diagnostic techniques, infective keratitis continues to pose a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. This article focuses on the key diagnostic clinical features of the most common organisms causing infective keratitis - bacteria, fungi, viruses, nocardia and acanthamoeba - in India. While the clinical features in some cases are fairly straightforward, most cases challenge the clinician. We describe the salient clinical features which can help arrive at a diagnosis to begin appropriate treatment immediately, prior to the laboratory report.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cornea and External Eye Diseases, Aravind Eye Hospitals, Madurai-625 020, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.forename: Jeena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mascarenhas
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Prashanth
mesh_terms: D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000821:virology; D015817:Eye Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans