Abstract

Study design: Retrospective case series (Aug 2022 – Mar 2023) at at rural centre of South India. Purpose: Describe corneal manifestations in patients with Demodex-blepharitis. Methods: Analysed records of patients with confirmed Demodex Blepharitis and corneal manifestations. Results: Among 7 patients (14 eyes), 3:4 male-to-female ratio, mean age 47±13 years. All had anterior blepharitis with collarettes. Of 14 eyes, 57.14% had corneal problems: epithelial defect (21.43%), scarring with vascularization-14.29%, infiltrate-14.29%, hyperplasia-7.14%, stromal edema-7.14%, and filamentary keratitis-7.14% on inferior cornea. Treated with Ivermectin 1% ointment or tea-tree-oil lid scrubs with Loteprednol-etabonate 0.5% eyedrops for corneal inflammation. All patients' blepharitis and corneal issues resolved. Conclusion: Emphasizes the significance of Demodex blepharo-conjunctiva-keratitis, particularly in cases of recurrent keratitis unexplained by microbiology or non-responsive to medication.