Non-invasive Diagnostics of Microbial Keratitis

Infectious keratitis is a significant cause of partial vision loss and blindness and places a large burden on eye care professionals. One of the main challenges for the ophthalmologist when presented with a case of suspected microbial keratitis is the determination of the subtype of keratitis. It must be determined whether the origin of the infection is bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic, in order to prescribe a correct, effective treatment aimed at the causative pathogen. In daily practice this can be challenging, and general treatments with antibiotics are prescribed. Some cases then experiences deterioration, resulting in more patients visits and further rounds of invasive treatments and progressive vision deterioration. This project is designed to break this cycle of nonspecific diagnosis, suboptimal treatment, and progressive worsening of vision with increased interventions. Ne