Background
- Inflammation of the cornea
Etiology
- Bacteria
- Gram-positive cocci
- Gram-positive bacilli
- Gram-negative coccobacilli
- Gram-negative bacilli
- Other bacteria
- Chlamydia trachomatis
- Treponema pallidum, mostly in congenital syphilis and presents in adolescence
- Borrelia burgdorferi
- Nocardia species, associated with surgery
- Mycobacteria
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- Mycobacterium chelonae, th most common NTM, which are associated with surgery
- Mycobacterium gordonae
- Mycobacterium mycogenicum
- Viruses
- Herpes simplex virus, the most common viral cause
- Varicella-zoster virus, which can occur before, during, or after a zoster eruption
- Adenovirus
- Vaccinia virus
- Epstein-Barr virus
- Measles virus
- Enterovirus
- Coxsackievirus
- Fungi
- Parasites
- Acanthamoeba polyphaga, Acanthamoeba castellanii, associated with contact lenses
- Onchocerca volvulus
- Leishmania brasiliensis
- Trypanosoma species
- Non-infectious causes
Clinical Manifestations
- Red, painful eye with foreign body sensation
- Decreased visual acuity
- Tearing ± purulent discharge (depending on etiology)
- Corneal edema
- Fluorescein dye may help visualize corneal ulcerations
