5/20/2023 0 Comments Intruder alert![]() Here is a look at the processes that lead to infiltrates and how to distinguish the various types you will encounter in your practice.įig. Once we know what we are dealing with, only then can we choose the proper treatment and management regimen. Instead, optometrists must rely on patient history, symptoms and clinical presentation when determining the type of corneal infiltrate. While it is true that diffuse infiltrates with little to no epithelial involvement are commonly sterile, clinicians need to avoid over-reliance on the rule of thumb that ulceration signifies infection and infiltrates do not. Therefore, both infiltrates and ulcers can be either sterile or infectious. ![]() Some infections (e.g., fungal or protozoan keratitis) have an intact epithelium even though an infectious process is at play. ![]() Likewise, a loss of stromal substance in corneal ulceration is often (but not always) accompanied by an infectious process. Perhaps that is because the question itself is inherently flawed-an infiltrative process accompanies every infection. Despite continued research and elevated clinical acumen, if you were to put 20 clinicians in front of 20 slit lamps and ask them to properly distinguish between sterile and infectious corneal infiltrates (whether bacterial, viral, fungal or protozoan), you would hear many differing opinions. Your Top 12 Crosslinking Questions-Answered!Ĭonquering corneal infiltrates is something clinicians have attempted to do for decades. Follow the links below to read other articles from our annual Cornea Report:Īn OD’s Guide to Corneal Transplant Optionsįixing a Hole: How to Heal Persistent Epithelial Defects
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