Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis in India: electronic medical records-driven big data analytics report IV

To describe the clinical profile of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) in patients presenting to a multitier ophthalmology hospital network in India.

This retrospective hospital-based study included 2 408 819 patients presenting between August 2010 and February 2020. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of EKC in at least one eye with a recent onset (≤1 week) were included as cases. The data were collected using the eyeSmart electronic medical record system.

Overall, 21 196 (0.9%) new patients were diagnosed with EKC, of which 19 203 (90.6%) patients reported a recent onset (≤1 week) and were included for analysis. The median age was 32 (IQR: 22-45) years and adults (84.5%) were commonly affected. Most of the patients were male (62.1%) and unilateral (53.4%) affliction was commoner. The most common presenting symptom was redness (63.7%), followed by watering (42.1%). Preauricular lymphadenopathy or tenderness was documented in 1406 (7.3%) cases at presentation. A minority of the eyes had visual impairment worse than 20/200 (7.8%) due to associated ocular comorbidities. The involvement of the cornea was seen in 7338 (38.2%) patients and corneal signs included subepithelial infiltrates (26.3%), epithelial defect (1.4%), corneal oedema (0.9%) and filaments (0.4%). Of the patients who had corneal involvement, 496 (2.6%) patients had a chronic course beyond 1 month of which 105 (0.5%) had a course beyond 1 year.

EKC is a self-limiting condition that is commonly unilateral and predominantly affects males. About one-third of the patients have corneal involvement which rarely has a chronic course.