Samiksha Ghatage, Geeta Karande
Background and aim Keratitis is an inflammatory condition of the cornea commonly caused by microbial infections and is an important cause of visual impairment worldwide. Fungal keratitis is an important cause of corneal infection and visual morbidity. This study was conducted to determine the fungal profile of corneal ulcers and to identify the predisposing factors associated with fungal keratitis. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2022 to August 2024 at a tertiary care center in Karad, Maharashtra, India. Patients presenting to the Ophthalmology Outpatient Department with corneal ulcers underwent detailed clinical evaluation and slit-lamp examination. Corneal scrapings were collected aseptically using a sterile surgical blade or needle and inoculated onto appropriate culture media for fungal isolation and identification. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results are expressed as frequencies and percentages. Results A total of 56 corneal ulcer samples were processed, of which eight (14.3%) yielded fungal isolates. The fungal pathogens identified included Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Mucor spp., and Fusarium spp. Aspergillus fumigatus was the most frequently isolated species. Conclusion Fungal keratitis was identified among corneal ulcer cases in this study. A. fumigatus was the most common isolate. Most culture-positive cases were observed in male patients with a farming background and a history of ocular trauma, particularly vegetative injury. Although limited by the small number of culture-positive cases and the absence of a comparator group, these findings emphasize the importance of early microbiological diagnosis and preventive measures in high-risk populations.