title: Bacterial keratitis following phototherapeutic keratectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) is effective in the treatment of many superficial corneal disorders. The incidence of bacterial keratitis following PTK has not been assessed in a large, prospective clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report three cases of bacterial keratitis that occurred in a prospective study of 258 consecutive PTK procedures at King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three (1.2%) of 258 eyes developed bacterial keratitis during a period of follow up ranging from 1 to 24 months. All three cases were in 183 eyes (1.6%) with a diagnosis of climatic droplet keratopathy, while no cases were observed in 75 eyes with other anterior corneal disorders. Gram-positive species (Streptococcus pneumonia in two, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus in one) were the predominant species isolated from all three cases. Two of the cases were polybacterial. The final visual outcomes ranged from 20/125 to 20/400.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The risk of bacterial keratitis following treatment of superficial corneal disorders with PTK is low but its occurrence may adversely affect the final visual outcome.
authors.affiliation: Anterior Segment Division/External Disease Division, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: al-Rajhi
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Wagoner
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Badr
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: al-Saif
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahmood
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007634:Keratitis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D008297:Male; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014792:Visual Acuity