Corneal ulcer pressure study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Corneal ulcer pressure study (CUPS)
IRAS ID
170807
Contact name
V Senthil Maharajan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
In developing countries, microbial keratitis is the second most common cause of preventable blindness. Even in developed countries, the annual incidence of microbial keratitis has been found to be increasing, with a recent study finding the annual incidence of microbial keratitis to be 27.6 per 100,000 people.
Infectious keratitis often causes an anterior chamber reaction that can range from a few cells to a significant hypopyon. Intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation secondary to uveitis is a well-recognised consequence of anterior chamber inflammation, and in most cases of uveitis associated with high IOP; infection is often the cause. These findings raise concerns about the possible increase in IOP that occurs in patients with infectious keratitis. Raised IOP’s is an established risk factor for the development and progression of glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
Measurement of IOP’s is part of a routine investigation for all patients. However, it is not regularly done in a patient with corneal ulcer as the management of corneal ulcer takes precedence. Raised IOP’s, depending on the pressures, even a week to two, could potentially cause damage to the optic nerve.
We would like to conduct a prospective pilot study to determine the incidence of raised IOP’s in patients with microbial keratitis. To date, we are unaware of any prospective study that has determined the incidence of raised IOP’s in patients with microbial keratitis in a United Kingdom based population. If a high incidence of raised IOP’s is found in patients with microbial corneal ulcers, further studies can then be conducted to determine whether raised IOP’s correlate with worse outcomes.
REC name
South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/SW/0071
Date of REC Opinion
27 Apr 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion