Keratitis: An Inflammation of Cornea

Keratitis is an inflammation of the cornea, which has both infectious and non-infectious etiology, among which infectious is more common. Non-infective keratitis may be caused by minor injuries, prolong contact lens usage, hypersensitivity responses, atopic conditions or some autoimmune disorders. Infective keratitis is an infection of the cornea, caused by either bacteria, fungus, virus or protozoa, if not treated earliest can lead to permanent visual impairment. Infective keratitis is commonly associated with several predisposing factors such as ocular trauma, contact lens use, recent ocular surgery, preexisting ocular diseases, dry eyes, lid deformity, compromised corneal sensation, chronic use of topical steroids and prolonged systemic immunosuppression. In spite of advances in clinical diagnosis, molecular laboratory investigations, and the availability of potent antimicrobials, visual morbidity continues to be high in underdeveloped and developing countries of the world. The importance of this disease can be judged by the fact that microbial keratitis remains one of the most common global causes of irreversible blindness among the corneal diseases. Diagnosis and management of microbial keratitis is always challenging in developing and under developed countries.