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The prevalence of positive donor cornea-scleral rim culture and its association with ocular infection after corneal transplantation

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First Author: R.Bolac Unculu TURKEY

Co Author(s):    E. Turan Vural                    

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To determine the prevalance of positive corneoscleral donor rim cultures and to report keratitis and endophthalmitis after keratoplasty

Setting:

Ministry of Health University, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology

Methods:

Patient charts and eye bank records were reviewed to determine the prevalance of positive donor rim cultures and clinical outcomes of all grafts.

Results:

A total of 826 keratoplasty cases were performed. Donor corneoscleral rim bacterial and fungal cultures were performed for all cases. A hundred twenty of them(14.5%) had positive donor corneoscleral rim culture. Positive bacterial cultures were obtained for 108(13,7%) of the donors. Bacterial keratitis was observed in one patients who had positive bacterial culture.Positive fungal cultures were obtained for 12(1,45%) of the donors. One of those with positive fungal culture developed fungal keratitis. Endophthalmitis was observed in one patient whose culture result was negative. Stenotrophomonas maltophiliawas the most common bacteria and candida albicans was the most common fungi.

Conclusions:

Bacterial culture positive donor rims have a higher reported incidence but poorer correlation with postoperative keratitis however fungal cultures have substantial predictive value because a positive fungal donor rim culture increases the risk of fungal keratitis.

Financial Disclosure:

... gains financially from competing product or procedure, ... travel has been funded, fully or partially, by a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented, ... research is funded, fully or partially, by a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented, ... receives non-monetary benefits from a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented, ... receives consulting fees, retainer, or contract payments from a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented, ... is employed by a competing company, ... has significant investment interest in a company producing, developing or supplying product or procedure presented