A Comparative Study of Topical Voriconazole and Topical Natamycin in Patients with Fungal Corneal Ulcers - A Clinical Study in a Tertiary Care Hospital

INTRODUCTION-Infectious corneal ulcers of fungal origin affecting people of tropical and developing countries is one of the leading cause of blindness. Fungi are present in fresh or decaying organic matters, paddy leaves, cow tail, agricultural vegetative remnants. Management of fungal corneal ulcer requires timely diagnosis and administration of appropriate antifungal therapy. AIM. To evaluate the efficacy of topical 1 % voriconazole versus 5 % natamycin in the treatment of fungal corneal ulcers. MATERIALS AND METHODS-The present study entitled- A comparative study of topical voriconazole and topical natamycin in patients with fungal corneal ulcers- A clinical study in a tertiary care hospital was carried out in the Department of Ophthalmology, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical college, Barpeta, Assam from JAN 2019 to Dec 2019. A total number of 40 patients with microbiologically proven fungal corneal ulcers were taken for the study. RESULTS-Two groups of 20 patients of fungal corneal ulcers were started on treatment with either 1 %voriconazole or 5 % Natamycin. Corneal ulcer healed in 17 (85 %) of 20 patients in voriconazole treated group and in 18 (90 %) of 20 patients of natamycin treated group. There was no significant statistical differences between the two groups (P=1.00). CONCLUSIONS- success rate of both the drugs were comparable and voriconazole therapy did not show any additional beneficial effect over natamycin.