Contact lens-related corneal ulcers requiring hospitalization: a 7-year retrospective study in Belgium.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical and epidemiological aspects of contact lens-related infectious corneal ulcers requiring hospitalization.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis was performed on the files of patients hospitalized for contact lens-induced corneal ulcer in the eight Belgian university hospitals over a 7-year period (January 1997 to December 2003). Diagnoses for all hospitalized patients are obligatorily registered using the ICD-9 code.


RESULTS
A total of 107 patients with contact lens-related corneal ulcers were documented: the number increased from five in 1997 to 22 in 2003. A total of 99 subjects used soft contact lenses, of whom nine used disposables, 73 planned replacement and 17 conventional lenses. Only six patients used extended wear lenses. Three patients used daily disposable lenses. The most frequently cultured organisms were Pseudomonas and other Gram-negative germs (70%) and Acanthamoeba (16%). The majority (77%) of the corneal ulcerations were centrally located and resulted in an average visual loss of four lines.


CONCLUSIONS
During the study period, the number of patients hospitalized rose, which is only partially explained by the increasing prevalence of lens wearers: 3.5% and 6.5% of the Belgian population used lenses in 1995 and 2003, respectively. These factual data highlight the need for improvements in patient education.
Verhelst
Dominik
D
Department of Ophthalmology, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium. dominik.verhelst@uza.be
Koppen
Carina
C
Van Looveren
Jan
J
Meheus
André
A
Tassignon
Marie-José
MJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D003261:Contact Lenses / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015817:Eye Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies