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Open research questions in Ocular Infections and Treatments

137 gap statements mined from Ocular Infections and Treatments papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 868 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • Current diagnosis methods for microbial keratitis are slow and often unsuccessful. Microscopic imaging holds promise, but current methods have limitations, such as the need for contact procedures. There is a need for a non-contact, rapid, and accurate diagnosis method.

    Imaging Fungal Hyphae and Infection-Induced Stromal Changes in Ex Vivo Porcine Corneas Using Line-Field Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Microscopy · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of specific diagnostic guidelines for neonatal conjunctivitis. The subtle presentation of symptoms makes diagnosis challenging and contributes to variability in incidence rates.

    Healthcare-Associated Conjunctivitis in the NICU: Microbiological Spectrum, Antimicrobial Resistance and Treatment Patterns · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to analyze avoidable adverse events to improve patient safety and reduce healthcare costs.

    Avoidable adverse events in cataract surgery: a national 11-year study of error types, care process patterns, and patient harm · 2026 · DOI

  • The origin of new-onset HSK after corneal transplantation is unclear. Prior studies have suggested the detection of HSV DNA in donor corneal tissue, but the exact mechanism remains unknown.

    New-onset herpes simplex virus epithelial keratitis following corneal transplantation: Clinical characteristics and exploration of viral origin · 2026 · DOI

  • The role of intraocular lens removal in the treatment of endophthalmitis is unclear. There is a lack of studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of IOL removal combined with vitrectomy for acute endophthalmitis in pseudophakic eyes.

    Efficacy and safety of intraocular lens removal combined with vitrectomy for acute endophthalmitis in pseudophakic eyes · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of evidence-based microbiological confirmation of the efficacy of a combination of an ocular antibiotic and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug in treating moderate-to-severe acute bacterial conjunctivitis. The local tolerability of the levofloxacin/ketorolac combination is not well established.

    Levofloxacin/ketorolac combination versus levofloxacin alone for topically treating moderate-severe acute bacterial conjunctivitis: a randomized controlled trial · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for continuous surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in bacterial keratitis. The gap in understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiology of bacterial keratitis. The lack of effective antimicrobial stewardship strategies to combat the rising resistance.

    Epidemiological and Antimicrobial Resistance Trends in Bacterial Keratitis: A Hospital-Based 10-Year Study (2014–2024) · 2025 · DOI

  • Limited progress in targeted therapies for adenoviral conjunctivitis. The need for future research in antiviral development and diagnostic innovation. The lack of accurate differentiation of conjunctivitis etiologies leading to unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions.

    An Update on Viral Conjunctivitis Treatment Strategies: A Narrative Literature Review · 2025 · DOI

  • The current treatments are often ineffective against multi-drug-resistant bacteria. There is a need for new antimicrobial strategies against P. aeruginosa ocular isolates.

    Cefiderocol and Moxifloxacin Have Additive and Synergistic Activity Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Including an Isolate of the 2023 Keratitis Outbreak · 2025 · DOI

  • While treatment can limit infection-related complications, the timeline and predictors of visual recovery in IK remain poorly characterised.

    Trends in follow-up visits and visual acuity gain in infectious keratitis: report from a tertiary eye care centre · 2026 · DOI

  • By generating data from a Chinese cohort, it helps address the limited evidence base in this setting and may support improved clinical recognition and future genotype–phenotype research.

    Clinical characteristics and ompA serovar correlation in adult inclusion conjunctivitis: a cohort study in China · 2026 · DOI

  • BACKGROUND/AIMS: Standardised treatment guidelines for endogenous fungal endophthalmitis (EFE) are lacking.

    Management strategies in endogenous fungal endophthalmitis: a multi-institutional retrospective cohort study · 2026 · DOI

  • This retrospective study describes 11 cats with orbital mycosis lacking overt sinonasal disease, identified through the Comparative Ocular Pathology Laboratory of Wisconsin between 1998 and 2024.

    Feline orbital mycosis: A report of 11 cases · 2026 · DOI

  • Herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) is a leading and long-recognised cause of corneal blindness worldwide, with an epidemiological profile that remains incompletely characterized.

    Herpes simplex keratitis: An epidemiological and public health review · 2026 · DOI

  • This finding is limited by a smaller-than-anticipated sample size, potentially hindering detection of subtle differences or overall effects.

    A Randomised Trial of Three Face‐Washing Methods for the Removal of Chlamydia trachomatis From the Faces of Children With Severe Active Trachoma · 2026 · DOI

  • These findings support conjunctival flaps as a salvage option, particularly in resource-limited or refractory settings, although further prospective evaluation is warranted.

    Clinical Outcomes of Conjunctival Flap Surgery for Refractory Infectious Keratitis: A Retrospective Case Series · 2026 · DOI

  • Surgical management strategies, including penetrating and lamellar keratoplasty, demonstrated variable recurrence rates, and the optimal timing of keratoplasty remains uncertain.

    Acanthamoeba Keratitis: Recent Advances in Diagnosis and Management · 2026 · DOI

  • Adult inclusion conjunctivitis (AIC) caused by non-trachomatous Chlamydia trachomatis is often under-recognised due to variable and non-specific clinical features.

    Clinical characteristics and ompA serovar correlation in adult inclusion conjunctivitis: a cohort study in China · 2026 · DOI

  • Although previously under-recognised, it is increasingly reported in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly Southeast Asia, and is associated with high rates of therapeutic keratoplasty and globe loss.

    Pythium keratitis: experience from Thailand · 2026 · DOI

  • Concurrently, persistently high HSV-1 seroprevalence in developing regions underscores a disproportionate global burden that remains inadequately characterized.

    Herpes simplex keratitis: An epidemiological and public health review · 2026 · DOI

  • Adjunctive therapies including topical voriconazole, Rose Bengal Photodynamic Antimicrobial Therapy, miltefosine, and povidone-iodine showed potential benefit, although evidence was limited primarily to observational studies and small clinical trials.

    Acanthamoeba Keratitis: Recent Advances in Diagnosis and Management · 2026 · DOI

  • Although ocular infections caused by these environmental fungi have been reported in the literature, they remain relatively underrecognised.

    A decade of ocular fungal infections due to Penicillium -like fungi in France (2012–2021) · 2026 · DOI

  • The study had a retrospective design - The sample size was limited - Multiple univariable comparisons were performed without adjustment for multiplicity - The findings should not be interpreted as establishing predictive or causal…

    Long-term outcomes and factors associated with visual recovery after small-gauge vitrectomy for infectious endophthalmitis: a 10-year experience at a single tertiary center in Taiwan · 2026 · DOI

  • Further validation of the findings is needed - Studies with larger sample sizes and more diverse populations are required - Investigation of the role of 27-gauge PPV in exogenous endophthalmitis…

    Long-term outcomes and factors associated with visual recovery after small-gauge vitrectomy for infectious endophthalmitis: a 10-year experience at a single tertiary center in Taiwan · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies are needed to determine the incidence and risk factors of healthcare-associated conjunctivitis in NICUs, - Research on the effectiveness of different treatment options for healthcare-associated conjunctivitis is needed, - Studies on the prevention of healthcare-associated conjunctivitis in NICUs…

    Healthcare-Associated Conjunctivitis in the NICU: Microbiological Spectrum, Antimicrobial Resistance and Treatment Patterns · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Ocular Infections and Treatments

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) There is a need for a non-contact, rapid, and accurate diagnosis method (“Imaging Fungal Hyphae and Infection-Induced Stromal Changes in Ex Vivo Porcine…”, 2026); (2) There is a lack of specific diagnostic guidelines for neonatal conjunctivitis (“Healthcare-Associated Conjunctivitis in the NICU: Microbiological Spectrum,…”, 2026); (3) There is a need to analyze avoidable adverse events to improve patient safety and reduce healthcare costs (“Avoidable adverse events in cataract surgery: a national 11-year study of error…”, 2026); (4) The origin of new-onset HSK after corneal transplantation is unclear (“New-onset herpes simplex virus epithelial keratitis following corneal…”, 2026); (5) The role of intraocular lens removal in the treatment of endophthalmitis is unclear (“Efficacy and safety of intraocular lens removal combined with vitrectomy for…”, 2026). 137 gap statements have been mined from Ocular Infections and Treatments papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 868 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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