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LETTER TO THE EDITOR |
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Year : 2018 | Volume
: 66
| Issue : 2 | Page : 345-346 |
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Comment on: Fungal keratitis: The Aravind Experience
Virgilio Galvis1, Alejandro Tello1, Augusto J Gomez2, Carmen A Castillo2, Néstor I Carreño1
1 Department of Ophthalmology, Fundación Oftalmológica de Santander FOSCAL; Centro Oftalmológico Virgilio Galvis; Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Ophthalmology, Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga UNAB, Floridablanca, Colombia 2 Department of Ophthalmology, Fundación Oftalmológica de Santander FOSCAL, Floridablanca; Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Ophthalmology, Universidad Industrial de Santander UIS, Bucaramanga, Colombia
Date of Web Publication | 30-Jan-2018 |
Correspondence Address: Dr. Alejandro Tello Virgilio Galvis Ophthalmological Center, Street 158 20-95, Office 301, Tower C, Cañaveral-Floridablanca Colombia
Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/ijo.IJO_1114_17
How to cite this article: Galvis V, Tello A, Gomez AJ, Castillo CA, Carreño NI. Comment on: Fungal keratitis: The Aravind Experience. Indian J Ophthalmol 2018;66:345-6 |
Sir,
We read with interest the article entitled, “Fungal keratitis: The Aravind experience” by Prajna et al.[1] First, in the compilation of the clinical articles published on this topic by the researcher from that institution, shown in the [Figure 1] included in the article by Prajna et al., an older study than those referred (a masked, randomized clinical trial of three concentrations of chlorhexidine compared with natamycin 5%, published in 1997) is missing from the list. In fact, that study showed that chlorhexidine might be superior to natamycin. Compared with the response to natamycin as the referent, the relative efficacy was 1.17 with chlorhexidine 0.05%, 1.43 with 0.1%, and reached 2.00 with 0.2%. The superiority of 0.2% chlorhexidine over natamycin was statistically significant (relative efficacy 2.20, P = 0.043) in patients not having had prior antimycotic medication.[2] Since the investigators did not mention chlorhexidine 0.2% in their recent review, we wonder if they had any posterior negative experience using this substance in fungal keratitis.
The recent studies Mycotic Ulcer Treatment Trial I (MUTT I) and MUTT II, performed also by researchers from Aravind Eye Hospital, showed that topical natamycin was superior to topical voriconazole.[3],[4] Since in the clinical trial from 1997, it was found that chlorhexidine 0.2% could be twice as effective as natamycin, would not it be worth conducting a new study with chlorhexidine and natamycin? Not only to probably corroborate the earlier findings from 1997 but also to evaluate a possible synergy between them?
Furthermore, in the recently published results from the study MUTT II (both for all cases of keratomycosis and for Fusarium keratitis), the researchers from Aravind indicated that all patients received topical voriconazole, 1%, and that after the results of the MUTT II study became available, topical natamycin, 5%, was added for all patients.[4],[5] It would be interesting to know if they have found any kind of synergy between these two medications. In the current protocol of their hospital, do they use both topical medications concurrently?
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
References | | |
1. | Prajna VN, Prajna L, Muthiah S. Fungal keratitis: The Aravind experience. Indian J Ophthalmol 2017;65:912-9. [ PUBMED] [Full text] |
2. | Rahman MR, Minassian DC, Srinivasan M, Martin MJ, Johnson GJ. Trial of chlorhexidine gluconate for fungal corneal ulcers. Ophthalmic Epidemiol 1997;4:141-9. [ PUBMED] |
3. | Prajna NV, Krishnan T, Mascarenhas J, Rajaraman R, Prajna L, Srinivasan M, et al. The mycotic ulcer treatment trial: A randomized trial comparing natamycin vs. voriconazole. JAMA Ophthalmol 2013;131:422-9. [ PUBMED] |
4. | Prajna NV, Krishnan T, Rajaraman R, Patel S, Srinivasan M, Das M, et al. Effect of oral voriconazole on fungal keratitis in the mycotic ulcer treatment trial II (MUTT II): A Randomized clinical trial. JAMA Ophthalmol 2016;134:1365-72. [ PUBMED] |
5. | Prajna NV, Krishnan T, Rajaraman R, Patel S, Shah R, Srinivasan M, et al. Adjunctive oral Voriconazole treatment of fusarium keratitis: A Secondary analysis from the Mycotic ulcer treatment trial II. JAMA Ophthalmol 2017;135:520-5. [ PUBMED] |
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