indications for corneal transplantation in labbafinejad medical center, tehran, iran

purpose: to evaluate changes in indications of corneal transplantation at labbafinejad medical center during 2001-2003. methods: records of 563 from 684 patients who had undergone corneal transplantation from oct. 2001 to oct. 2003 were evaluated. all the procedures were performed by corneal surgeons and fellows. findings: there were 292 male (51.9%) and 217 female (48.1%) subjects ranging in age from 2 months to 97 years. keratoconus (kcn) was the most common cause (27.3%) of corneal grafting, and other causes were as follows: herpes simplex keratitis (11.7%), regraft (11.5%), bacterial keratitis (6.5%), trachoma keratopathy (5.5%), macular corneal dystrophy (5.5%), corneal opacity of unknown cause (4%), trauma (2%), congentital hereditary endothelial dystrophy (2%), fuch's endothelial dystrophy (1.9%), fungal keratitis (1.9%), and other causes (7.2%). conclusion: as in our previous report, kcn is the leading cause of corneal graft at labbafinejad medical center. infectious keratitis is the second and fuch's endothelial dystrophy is the least common indication. herpes simplex keratitis has decreased which may be due to better medical management of the disorder. the rate of regraft has not changed.