부산대학교 도서관

HRT3 in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) images may indicate clinical outcome, but few studies have analysed this in fungal keratitis (FK). Adults with FK (diameter ≥3 mm) presenting to Aravind Eye Hospital, India from 2012-3 were enrolled prospectively. IVCM was performed at baseline, days 7, 14 and 21 post-enrolment (+/− 3 days where possible). Specific morphologies were identified in IVCM images by a grader masked to microbiology and clinical outcome (defined as good: healed/improving, or poor: enlarged ulcer, perforation or transplant/glue). Associations with final visit outcome assessed using logistic regression. 143 FK participants were enrolled; 87 had good outcome, 56 had poor outcome. Poor outcomes were associated with stellate interconnected cellular processes with no visible nuclei (OR 2.28, 95% CI: 1.03–5.06, p = 0.043) in baseline IVCM images, and fungal filaments (OR 6.48, 95% CI:2.50–16.78, p < 0.001) or honeycomb distribution of inflammatory cells (OR 5.24, 95% CI: 1.44–19.06, p = 0.012) in final visit images. Fungal filaments (OR 3.61, 95% CI:1.64–7.95, p = 0.001), stromal dendritiform cells (OR 2.88, 95% CI:1.17–7.11, p = 0.022), or stellate cellular processes with no visible nuclei (OR 2.09, 95% CI:1.14–3.82, p = 0.017) were associated with poor outcome if not in baseline but present in final visit images. IVCM can reveal morphological changes associated with clinical outcome.