title: Contamination of donor cornea: postpenetrating keratoplasty endophthalmitis.
abstract: Nine cases (0.41%) of bacterial and fungal endophthalmitis developed out of a total of 2,210 consecutive penetrating keratoplasties performed between November 1983 and April 1989. Five of the nine cases (0.23%) had endophthalmitis related to donor tissue contamination. The donor tissue of these cases had a storage time of greater than 5 days. A retrospective analysis of 1,399 consecutive corneoscleral rim cultures showed a contamination rate of 29%. The most common organisms isolated were Propionibacterium 26%, diphtheroids 24%, Staphylococcus epidermidis 22%, and fungi 9%. There is a statistically significant increase (p less than 0.005) in the percentage of contaminated donor rims with a preservation time of more than five days. The risk of developing endophthalmitis is 12 times greater with a positive donor rim culture. Prolonged preservation of donor tissue can be a risk factor in developing endophthalmitis.
authors.affiliation: King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Antonios
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Badr
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Habash
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Cotter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003315:Cornea / Q000382:microbiology*; D009877:Endophthalmitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000209:etiology*; D015821:Eye Infections, Fungal / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014021:Tissue Preservation