Predictors of Response to Treatment in Fungal Keratitis
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Investigator: Jennifer Rose-Nussbaumer, MD
Sponsor: NIH Natl Eye Institute
Location(s): Ethiopia
Description
Corneal opacities, which are commonly caused by infectious keratitis, are the 4th leading cause of blindness worldwide. Outcomes of fungal keratitis are generally poor and the best treatment is not known. This study seeks to determine whether fungal organism and in vitro antifungal activity predict in vivo efficacy in the treatment of funga corneal ulcers. I will also investigate the efficacy of collagen cross-linking in the treatment of infectious keratitis.
Fungal keratitis is a major cause of monocular blindness in the developing world. The best treatment of fungal keratitis has not been well characterized. The Mycotic Ulcer Treatment Trials (MUTT I and II) are two NEI-funded randomized trials designed by our group to determine the best available treatment of fungal keratitis. The goal of my K23 is to perform secondary analyses of the trial data to determine whether organism, in vitro antifungal activity and other presentation characteristics predict in vivo efficacy in the treatment of fungal corneal ulcers.