70-year-old patient successfully treated for rare eye infection

Patasho Devi was at risk of losing complete vision; her diagnosis done through a specialised ocular microbiology lab
13^th of October is observed at World Sight Day

India

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New Delhi, October 13, 2022:

Dr Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital treated a 70-year-old female patient, Patasho Devi (from Sonipat, Haryana) for a rare eye infection, keratitis. The patient was partially blind in the right eye and already had trouble completing her day-to-day tasks. When the infection began developing in her left eye, she was at risk of losing complete vision. Initially, when she experienced symptoms of pain and blurriness, she used eye drops to treat the same. However, as her condition worsened and the pain became more acute, she sought treatment.

Infectious keratitis is one of the leading causes of corneal blindness in developing countries. The infection spreads very quickly, infects the eye, causing significant damage to the entire cornea which can lead to blindness. The infection rate of this bacteria ranges from 2.5 to 799 per 100,000 population-year.

A team of doctors led by Dr. Manisha Acharya, Head of Cornea Services, Medical Director – Eye bank, diagnosed the patient using specialised ocular microbiology services and treated her by injecting antibiotics in her eye and performing an amniotic membrane graft surgery.

On presentation, Patasho Devi’s left eye was red and completely swollen. Her vision was blurred, an ulcer had developed in the eye, and the infection had spread beyond the cornea. It was critical to restore the left eye’s vision because the patient was dependent on the same. She had always limited vision in her right eye (could only see objects which were at a distance of one meter) and now that she left eye was compromised, she was completely incapacitated and dependent on her family.

Dr. Manisha Acharya, Head of Cornea Services, Medical Director – Eye bank, Dr Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital said, “Keratitis is an inflammation of the cornea which can be caused by infection. It causes immense trauma to the eye and needs a targeted treatment approach.

To diagnose the condition properly, a small sample was taken from the eye and tested in the ocular microbiology lab. This is one of the eight specialised laboratories in India for ocular services. After we determined that it was a bacterial infection, we selected the appropriate antibiotics to treat the infection. The bacterial infection was treated by injecting antibiotics in the eye’s anterior chamber; however, it was critical to treat the wound caused by the infection as well. We performed a rare surgery called amniotic membrane graft surgery to treat the wound.

An amniotic membrane graft is prepared from the placenta which has an anti-inflammatory and anti-scarring properties, as well as growth factors that promote epithelial wound healing on the eye’s surface. Her post operative vision improved after healing of the wound.

Dr. Vatsala Nidhi, Cornea fellow, Dr Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital said, “The patient has completed the first stage of her treatment at Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital. Her vision in the left eye has significantly improved, and she now has a vision of 3/60. The patient is currently undergoing follow up treatment and is scheduled for another surgery to remove the cataract in the eye. After this surgery, she is expected to gain a major improvement in her vision.”

Patasho Devi said, “I am really grateful that my vision has improved. It gives me more freedom to move about and do things independently. I can also contribute to the house by working and earning money. The hospital did everything to help me regain my vision and make me comfortable.Remember, your eyes are the windows to the world, and you should not allow any ailment to fester.”