Infectious Keratitis: A Retrospective Analysis of a Tertiary Care Center.

Background/

Objectives

Infectious keratitis is a vision-threatening disease. Its prevalence and specific pathogens vary by geographic location. This study characterizes risk profiles, clinical manifestations, and treatment outcomes for various pathogens in the Rostock area.

Results

The study included 65 patients (38 viral, 14 bacterial, seven fungal, six parasitic) with a minimum follow-up of three months. The cohort had a mean age of 59 ± 19 years, with 49% female and 51% male participants. All groups showed significant improvement in visual acuity (viral -0.3 logMAR, p = 0.011; parasitic -0.8 logMAR, p = 0.043; fungal -0.9 logMAR, p = 0.018; Wilcoxon). Only the bacterial group did not reach statistical significance (-0.3 logMAR, p = 0.169; Wilcoxon). Final visual acuity did not differ significantly between medical and surgical treatments.

Conclusions

No treatment modality (medical vs. surgical) showed superiority regarding visual outcome across pathogen groups. Early diagnosis and prompt therapy initiation are essential to improve visual prognosis and reduce complications.