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Purpose: Pterygium is a fibrovascular disease that originates in the conjunctiva and commonly spreads to the corneal surface, thereby posing a threat to eyesight. Despite intensive research, the pathophysiology of this disease remains unclear. Recent research suggests that oncogenic viruses, such as human papillomavirus (HPV), cytomegalovirus, and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), may play a role in pterygia development. Although there are questions concerning the function of oncogenic viruses in pterygium pathogenesis, existing research shows a lack of consensus on the subject, demonstrating the heterogeneity of pterygium pathophysiology. Therefore, we aimed to simultaneously detect the three common viral pathogens that have been reported in pterygium tissue obtained after excision. Methods: Thirty-five tissue specimens of pterygium from patients undergoing pterygium surgery (as cases) were analyzed for evidence of viral infection with multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and virus-specific real-time quantitative PCR was used for the samples that were detected positive by multiplex PCR. Results: Of the 35 patients, one sample was positive for EBV and two samples were positive for HPV. Further PCR-based DNA sequencing of the HPV PCR-positive product showed identity with HPV-16. Real-time quantitative PCR on samples that showed EBV or HPV positivity did not yield any detectable copy number. Conclusion: Our study results confirmed that PCR positivity could be due to transient flora, but it was not quantitatively significant to conclude as the causative factor of pterygium pathogenesis. However, additional studies with larger sample populations are warranted to fully determine the role of the virus in pterygium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A young 33 year old male presented with non-resolving corneal infiltrate for 2 month duration in the right eye. KOH/ Calcoflour wet mount revealed sparsely septate fungal hyphae. Post therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty 3 doses of intracameral voriconazole(100μg/0.1ml) was administered suspecting recurrence. Fungal culture revealed non sporulating mould on SDA. PCR based DNA sequencing targeting the ITS region identified the fungal isolate as Mortierella wolfii (M. wolfii) belonging to zygomycetes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of human fungal keratitis caused by M. wolfii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To report a case of bilateral microsporidiosis with coexisting fungal infection in one eye. Retrospective interventional case report. A 61-year-old man with uncontrolled diabetes presented with clinical and microbiological features of non-resolving fungal keratitis in the right eye since 3 months and underwent therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty (TPK) for the same. Fungal filaments along with oval bodies suspicious of microconidia were noted on calcofluor stain. A week following TPK, the patient presented with features of viral keratouveitis in the left eye which on microbiology was confirmed as microsporidiosis. Retrospectively, the right eye microbiology slides were reassessed, which confirmed the coexistence of fungus with microsporidiosis by acid-fast stain and polymerase chain reaction. Structural resemblance of microconidia with microsporidial spores can be misleading, thus creating a need for awareness regarding the possible coexistence along with a need to suspect microsporidiosis in nonresponding clinically resembling viral keratitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]