Getting to 2020: A Clinical Review of the Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Trachoma

Abstract

Objectives: 1) to undertake a review of the literature to provide information to clinicians and trainees about the epidemiology, treatment and most importantly, prevention, of trachoma - the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. 2) To highlight the diagnosis and treatment of this preventable infectious eye disease for trainees and to evaluate the efficacy of the SAFE treatment and prevention strategy endorsed by the WHO as the target trachoma elimination year of 2020 nears.
 Methods: A review of the literature was undertaken. PubMED, Clinical Key, UpToDate and Google Scholar databases were searched using the following MeSH terms and keywords: trachoma, infectious eye disease, chlamydia trachomatis, SAFE, community prevention.
 Results: The diagnosis of trachoma is typically clinical and is made by identifying the signs of conjunctival inflammation and scarring, trichiasis and corneal opacification in the context of a trachoma-endemic region. Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated the efficacy of the WHO’s SAFE (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial Cleanliness, Environmental change) treatment and prevention strategy, the implementation of which has been associated with declining rates of trachoma worldwide.