Study of demographic profile, risk factor, clinical profile and microbiological profile of corneal ulcer

Abstract

: To study the demographic factors, risk factors, microbiological profile and clinical course of patients with corneal ulcer presenting to Minto Regional institute of ophthalmology Bangalore.: A total of 876 patients diagnosed with infective corneal ulcer from January 2018 to January 2020 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed for demographic profile, risk factors, clinico-microbiological profile at Minto Regional institute of ophthalmology Bengaluru. Among the 876 patients, 596 (68.04%) were male and 280 (31.96%) were females. 613(69.97%) were in the age group of 51-60 years. 85.04% belonged to low socioeconomic class. History of injury from vegetative matter was the leading cause and was seen in 264(30.14%) patients. Among the 613 (69.98%) culture positive patients, 410 (46.81%) were positive for fungi, while 203 (23.17%) were positive for bacteria. 674(76.94%) out of 876 responded to conservative management alone, while 202 (23.06%) patients required therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty. Fungal corneal ulcers caused by Aspergillus were the most common type, followed by bacterial corneal ulcers due to Staphylococcus aureus. Incidence of fungal corneal ulcer is very high among agricultural and industrial workers. Lack of awareness and delayed treatment leads to corneal blindness. This emphasizes the need for awareness among at risk population and also shall guide clinicians in decision making regarding empirical treatment.