Mycotic keratitis in Madras.

Corneal scrapings from 698 clinically suspected cases of mycotic keratitis were investigated for evidence of fungal infection. Of these, 322 were found to be positive by direct examination and/or culture. The infection was predominantly seen in the age group 21-50. Men were more frequently affected than women. Majority of the patients were either agricultural workers or out door manual labourers and 66.8% of them gave a definite history of antecedent corneal trauma due to vegetable or soil matter. Asperyllus flavus was the commonest causal agent isolated from 55 cases (17.1%), followed by A. niger (13.7%), A. fumigatus (10.9%), A. terreus (1.2%), A. glaucus (0.9%), and Pseudoallescheria boydii (0.6%). The order of occurrence of the genera of fungi isolated was Aspergillus, Acremonium, Curvularia, Fusarium, Candida, Syncephalastrum, Penicillium, Aureobasidium, Drechslera, Cladosporium, Rhizopus, Alternaria, Mucor, Pseudoallecheria and lastly Paecilomyces and Trichoderma from one case each.