Posters

Imaging keratitis induced by setae of pine processionary caterpillar: three case series

Poster Details

First Author: J. Peraza-Nieves SPAIN

Co Author(s):    F. Perez-Bartolome   J. Fernandez-Vigo   P. Arriola-Villalobos   R. Mendez-Fernandez   M. Dupre-Pelaez   J. Castellar-Cerpa     

Abstract Details

Purpose:

We report 3 cases of corneal embedded hair of the processionary caterpillar, in which the diagnosis was confirmed by the morphological shape of setae in In-Vivo Confocal Microscopy (IVCM) and corroborated with optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).

Setting:

Hospital Clinico Universitario San Carlos de Madrid.

Methods:

Case series and review of the literature.

Results:

Case 1: A 69 years-old man presented an acute keratouveitis. Case 2: A 65 years-old man presented an epithelial defect with a subdjacent dense stromal infiltrate. Case 3: A 54 years-old woman came with keratoconjunctivitis. Case 1 and 3 presented a single hair embedded in the anterior stroma. Case 2 presented 8-10 hairs deeply embedded in the stroma and Descemet membrane. We compared the morphology of setae between images obtained with IVCM in the cornea of our 3 cases with Ex–Vivo Optical Microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. In the 3 patients the diagnosis was confirmed.

Conclusions:

IVCM can be a useful tool for diagnosis when the etiology of the corneal inflammation remains uncertain. Comparing the processionary caterpillar hair morphology between IVCM, SEM and OM confirm the pathognomonic shape of these setae at IVCM examination.

Financial Disclosure:

NONE