Characteristics of Corneal Ulcer Patients at Bali Mandara Eye Hospital in 2021-2022

Abstract

Background: A corneal ulcer is a pathological discontinuity of corneal epithelium surface. The incidence in developing countries reached 1.5-2 million per year and one of the causes of blindness. Corneal ulcers can occur at any age and gender which is influenced by geographic conditions. The causes of corneal ulcers vary depend on the region, predisposing factors, and microorganisms in the particular community. Purpose: To know the characteristics of corneal ulcers particularly at the Bali Mandara Eye Hospital and as a basic data for further research. Methods: A total of 77 selected medical records at Bali Mandara Hospital from January 2021–May 2022 were used in this descriptive study using a retrospective method. Patient characteristics, etiology, clinical characteristics, management, and complications were identified in this study. Descriptive analysis was performed on all data and presented in frequency tabulation. Results: In this study, 52 cases (67.5%) were male and 25 cases (32.5%) were female. The largest age group was 24-64 years with 34 cases (44.2%). All cases with corneal ulcers (100%) complained of red eye symptoms. Trauma (61.0%) as the most common predisposing factors that was caused by plants (24.7%). The most common etiologies were bacteria (46.8%) followed by fungi (5.2%), and mixed (28.6%). Most of the cases were managed without treatment (66.2%) with the outcome of improvement (55.8%), without complications (53.2%), perforation (28.6%), and descemetocele (15.6%). Conclusion: Most patients with corneal ulcers at the Bali Mandara Eye Hospital are male than female with range of 24-64 years and trauma being the most common predisposing factor. This is because it is the range for productive age and the majority of the population in Indonesia, especially Bali, works as farmers. Most microorganisms that cause corneal ulcers are bacteria. Most patients receive non-surgical treatment with more than 50% of patients experiencing improvements in vision and no complications. Keywords: Corneal Ulcers, keratitis, ocular trauma, visual impairment