Office-Based Rapid Diagnosis And Management Of External Ophthalmomyiasis Via Smartphone Aided Innovative Tools In An Under Resourced Setting

To evaluate the use of smartphone-based innovative tools named ASPI (Anterior segment photography with intraocular lens) and IOLSCOPE (Intraocular lens-based microscope) to demonstrate, treat and diagnose the patients of ophthalmomyiasis caused by Oestrus ovis (O. ovis).

This retrospective study was conducted in a PHC located in underserved and rural areas of South India which were devoid of slit lamp bio-microscopy and light microscope. The study was conducted according to the tenets of declaration of Helsinki. An ethics committee approval was obtained for this retrospective review. An informed consent was taken from all patients.

A retrospective interventional case series of six patients infested with O. ovis presenting in a rural health centre with symptoms of burning, itching, watering and foreign body sensation diagnosed with ophthalmomyiasis. Diagnosis and treatment were done using an innovative imaging technique i.e. an optical system formed by intraocular lens (IOL) and smartphone.

- The smartphone based ASPI clearly detected and removed the moving larvae from the ocular surface, followed by microbiological diagnosis of O.ovis larvae with the help of an IOL and smartphone-based microscope (IOLSCOPE).

The importance of ASPI and IOLSCOPE for the management of ophthalmomyiasis in peripheral health centres devoid of slit-lamp and microscopes has been emphasized here.