bacterial keratitis in south east of iran: major predisposing factors and final clinical results

purpose : identifying the predisposing factors of the infectious keratitis results in understanding the underlying mechanisms of its expansion and severity that is essential for initiation of optimal empirical antimicrobial therapy. this study identified main predisposing factors of bacterial keratitis in a sample of iranian population. methods : ninety patients with bacterial keratitis were prospectively enrolled. demographic and clinical features were collected by a face to face interviewing as well as physical examination. predisposing factors and final outcomes were analyzed. results : trauma was the most commonly identified predisposing factor (40.0%), followed by blepharitis and cataract surgery that were observed in 27.8% and 23.3% of patients, respectively. 5.6% of cases were associated with contact lens wear and 4.4% with prior herpetic keratitis. no significant differences were found in overall prevalence of predisposing factors of infectious keratitis between men and women. fifty-three patients experienced cornea scar and 15.6% of them had corneal neovascularization. moreover, graft of cornea was programmed in 11.1% of cases and 5.6% of them underwent conjunctive flap. conclusion : ocular trauma, followed by surgery and ocular surface diseases are the major predisposing factors for bacterial keratitis. identification of the appropriate predisposing factors aids in early recognition and treatment of microbial keratitis.    iranian journal of ophthalmology 201224(2):9-16 © 2012 by the iranian society of ophthalmology