Page 126 - The Indian Optician Digital Edition May-Junel 2022

DIAGNOSIS OF

TRACHOMA

USING ACRIDINE ORANGE

AND GIEMSA STAINS:

A COMPARATIVE STUDY

rachoma, the leading infectious cause
of blindness worldwide, is caused by an
Tobligate intracellular bacterium called
Chlamydia trachomatis. This bacterial infection
is contagious and spreads through contact with
the eyes, eyelids, and nose or throat secretions of
infected people. Therefore, it is very important to
diagnose it carefully.
DR VINEET SHRIVASTAVA
B.E.M.S., D.O., (FOOREC) The most important aspect in the
FCLC (Gold Medalist) management of trachoma is diagnosis at
Consultant Optometrist & an early stage, when no complications have
Educator Banswara, Rajasthan
occurred. Various methods have been described
for the diagnosis of trachoma, like staining of
conjunctival smears, cultivation of Chlamydia on
yolk sac of chick embryo, serologic procedures
like complement fixation test, agglutination
THE MOST reaction and immunofluorescence against
IMPORTANT chlamydial antigen. Staining procedures,
ASPECT IN THE however, remain the most simple and
MANAGEMENT inexpensive methods for the diagnosis of
OF TRACHOMA trachoma. The present study was undertaken
to establish a simple, accurate, less time
IS DIAGNOSIS consuming procedure for the early detection of
AT AN EARLY trachoma. The efficacy of Acridine orange (AO)
STAGE, WHEN NO stain was also compared with that of Giemsa
COMPLICATIONS stain for the diagnosis of trachoma.
HAVE OCCURRED

122 THE INDIAN OPTICIAN MAY-JUNE 2022 CASE STUDY