Parasitic Infections of the External Eye

Objective: To review the published literature on parasitic infections of external eye. Methods: Published articles and case reports on parasitic infections of external eye were reviewed and relevant information was collected. Results: Parasitic infections of the eye are rare. However, being more commonly seen in developing nations, they require active measures for screening, diagnosis, and therapy. Parasites of importance causing external ocular disease are protozoan parasites, such as Leishmania; metazoans, such as nematodes (roundworms), cestodes (tapeworms), and trematodes (flatworms); or ectoparasites, such as Phthirus pubis and Demodex.