Mohammed Selim Reza1, Shamsul Alam Chowdhury2, Paritush Kanti Talukder3,
Md. Tabibul Islam4, Md. Altaf Hossain5, Nizam Jamil Hussain6, Azima Aktar Jhuma7
1. Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, North-East Medical College, Sylhet.
2. Professor and Head, Department of Ophthalmology, North-East Medical College, Sylhet.
3. Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, Sylhet.
4. Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, Sylhet.
5. Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Sylhet Women’s Medical College, Sylhet.
6. Consultant, Friends Eye Hospital, Akhalin, Sylhet.
7. Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, Sylhet.
Abstract
Microbial keratitis is a serious ocular infectious disease that can lead to significant visual loss and ophthalmic morbidity. Specific treatment requires accurate identification of causative microorganisms. To see the profile of non-viral microbial keratitis, in a tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh) this cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Ophthalmology, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, Sylhet between January 2015 and December 2016. Ninety adult patients of non-viral microbial keratitis were included. Clinical profile, visual acuity and predisposing factors were recorded, Bacterial and fungal cultures were done. Patients mean age was 46.7 ± 16.5 years with male preponderance (54.4%). The common clinical profiles were watering, redness of eye, dimness of vision, ciliary congestion and corneal opacity in all patients. Others were pain or burning sensation (75.6%). The most common predisposing factors were trauma (66.7%) and chronic dacryocystitis (25.6%). Fungal growth was more frequent compared to bacterial growth [70 (77.7%) versus 30 (33.3%), p<0.01]. Gram positive organisms were Staphylococcus epidermidis (11.1%), Staphylococcus aureus (3.3%); Gram negative organisms were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12.2%), Klebsiella species (3.3%) and Escherichia coli (3.3%). Aspergillus species (71.4%) was the commonest fungus. Others were Penicillium species (7.1%), Fusarium species (8.6%), Mucor (10.0%) Watering, redness, pain or burning sensation, corneal opacity and dimness of vision were the clinical profiles of non-viral microbial keratitis. The common predisposing factors were trauma and chronic dacryocystitis.
Key Words: Microbial keratitis, predisposing factors, clinical profile