{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:16:55Z","timestamp":1787026615440,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,15]],"date-time":"2026-01-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768435200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    This report describes a rare case of microsporidial stromal keratitis (MSK) complicated by corneal perforation in a 69-year-old male farmer with a 5-month history of ocular redness, pain, photophobia, and epiphora.\n                    <jats:italic>In vivo<\/jats:italic>\n                    confocal microscopy (IVCM) revealed pathognomonic findings\u2014hyperreflective double-walled spore casings and vesicular clusters, providing the earliest diagnostic clues for microsporidia infection. Subsequent metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and histopathology confirmed\n                    <jats:italic>Microsporidia<\/jats:italic>\n                    species. The patient underwent therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty followed by targeted anti-microsporidial therapy, achieving globe preservation and visual improvement. This case underscores IVCM\u2019s pivotal role in diagnosing MSK, particularly in atypical presentations. Because MSK remains a rare corneal disorder, its insidious progression necessitates high clinical vigilance. In summary, IVCM\u2019s ability to detect microsporidial structures in real-time significantly enhances early diagnosis, complementing molecular methods like mNGS. We conclude that IVCM, as a non-invasive and rapid diagnostic tool, provides a convenient and efficient means for the early differentiation of challenging corneal infections.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2025.1745070","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,15]],"date-time":"2026-01-15T05:13:53Z","timestamp":1768454033000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Case Report: Confocal microscopy in the early diagnosis of microsporidial keratitis"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Jingjing","family":"Su","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Shenzhen Eye Medical Center, Southern Medical University","place":["Shenzhen, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ke","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Shenzhen Eye Medical Center, Southern Medical University","place":["Shenzhen, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaofang","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Shenzhen Eye Medical Center, Southern Medical University","place":["Shenzhen, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Baotao","family":"Lin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Shenzhen Eye Medical Center, Southern Medical University","place":["Shenzhen, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fangwei","family":"Ying","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Shenzhen Eye Medical Center, Southern Medical University","place":["Shenzhen, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yingting","family":"Zhu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"BioTissue","place":["Miami, FL, United 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