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Review
. 2021 Feb 13;10(4):758.
doi: 10.3390/jcm10040758.

Staphylococcus aureus Keratitis: Incidence, Pathophysiology, Risk Factors and Novel Strategies for Treatment

Jason W Lee  1 , Tobi Somerville  2   3 , Stephen B Kaye  2   3 , Vito Romano  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Staphylococcus aureus Keratitis: Incidence, Pathophysiology, Risk Factors and Novel Strategies for Treatment

Jason W Lee et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Bacterial keratitis is a devastating condition that can rapidly progress to serious complications if not treated promptly. Certain causative microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are notorious for their resistance to antibiotics. Resistant bacterial keratitis results in poorer outcomes such as scarring and the need for surgical intervention. Thorough understanding of the causative pathogen and its virulence factors is vital for the discovery of novel treatments to avoid further antibiotic resistance. While much has been previously reported on P. aeruginosa, S. aureus has been less extensively studied. This review aims to give a brief overview of S. aureus epidemiology, pathophysiology and clinical characteristics as well as summarise the current evidence for potential novel therapies.

Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus; keratitis; microbial keratitis; novel therapy; pathophysiology; therapeutics; treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A diagram illustrating biofilm formation. Adapted from “Polymicrobial Biofilm”, by BioRender.com (2021). Retrieved from https://app.biorender.com/biorender-templates (accessed on 9 February 2021).
Figure 2
Figure 2
A simplified diagram showing the various layers of the cornea affected by a superficial and a deep corneal ulcer. Adapted from “Corneal Anatomy”, by BioRender.com (2021). Retrieved from https://app.biorender.com/biorender-templates (accessed on 9 February 2021).
Figure 3
Figure 3
S. aureus keratitis in a patient with previous penetrating corneal transplant.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Structural differences between an oil-in-water microemulsion (left) and liposome (right). Created with BioRender.com.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Infection of a bacterial cell with a bacteriophage. Created with BioRender.com.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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