The following is a summary of “Increased incidence of adult gonococcal keratoconjunctivitis at two tertiary eye hospitals in Western Europe: clinical features, complications, and antimicrobial susceptibility,” published in the February 2024 issue of Ophthalmology by Milligan al.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study investigating the potential link between the recent surge in gonorrhea diagnoses and the rise in gonococcal keratoconjunctivitis (GKC) cases.

They conducted a case series on adult GKC from two Western European tertiary ophthalmology centers (2017 to July 2023). The study reports on clinical features, ocular complications, and antimicrobial susceptibilities.

The results showed an increased incidence of GKC at both centers, with 11 confirmed cases diagnosed in the first seven months of 2023 compared to, at most, 3 cases identified annually between 2017 and 2022.

Investigators concluded that the significant rise in GKC cases observed at their centers in 2023 suggests a potentially more comprehensive increase across Western Europe.

Source: bjo.bmj.com/content/early/2024/04/09/bjo-2023-324750