Page 114 - The Indian Optician Digital Edition September-October 2021
P. 114
IMPACT OF
MUCORMYCOSIS
ON THE HUMAN EYE
he Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease has recently
been found to be associated with incremental
Temergence of fungal infections (FIs) such
as aspergillosis, mucormycosis, and rhinocerebral
mucormycosis. Mucormycosis is a rare opportunistic
infection of the sinuses, nasal passages, oral cavity,
and the brain caused by saprophytic fungi in
SANJAY K MISHRA
SCIENTIST, DR. R. P. CENTRE critically ill patients and those being treated with
FOR OPHTHALMIC SCIENCES systemic steroids.
AIIMS, NEW DELHI
More than 40,000 cases of mucormycosis
were reported by the government of India (GoI)
till recently. Among these, more than 31,000
cases were rhinocerebral in nature. Conjunctivitis
1
was found to be the most common ophthalmic
manifestation of COVID-19. Initial observations
involving relatively larger number of cases, found
about 10% incidence of mucormycosis among
COVID-19 infected and hospitalised patients who also
received systemic steroids. However, the most recent
observations indicated a steep rise in the incidence
of mucormycosis of around 20% - 30%. Therefore, it
is of prime importance for eye care practitioners to
develop a risk-based approach (RBA) of managing
MAYADHAR BARIK patients who are at risk of developing mucormycosis
AIIMS, PROFESSOR & HOD OF infection due to concurrent use of systemic steroids.
BIOCHEMISTRY & PARAMEDICAL
SCIENCES, MEWAR UNIVERSITY,
RAJASTHAN, INDIA Epidemiological evidence shows that diabetic
patients who were treated with systemic steroids to
overcome severity of Covid-19 infection in order to
save their lives, were more prone to morbid ocular
manifestations of mucormycosis infection. Patients
2
| SEPT-OCT 2021 | 110 CLINICAL
