Recent pattern of contact lens-related keratitis in Hong Kong.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the changing pattern of clinical features and microbiology of contact lens-associated microbial keratitis in Hong Kong.


METHODS
This is a retrospective observational case series of patients diagnosed with contact lens-associated microbial keratitis between July 2004 and April 2005 and between July 2005 and April 2006. Patients who wore contact lenses solely for the correction of refractive error and who were seen at Queen Mary Hospital were included in the study. The clinical characteristics, microbiology, and visual outcomes were compared.


RESULTS
There were 14 cases between July 2004 and April 2005. Most cases had an axial lesion (eight) or paraxial lesions (four). Corneal scrapings were positive in seven (50%) patients, among whom six showed Pseudomonas aeruginosa and one showed Serratia marcescens as the pathogens. Contact lens storage cases yielded polymicrobial growth in two cases. For the more recent cohort, Fusarium species had been identified as the dominant pathogen, and most (60%) contact lens storage cases showed polymicrobial growth.


CONCLUSIONS
There has been an increased number of cases of contact lens-associated fungal keratitis recently. Fusarium species and polymicrobial growth are becoming more dominant.
Yu
Derek Kim Hun
DK
Department of Ophthalmology, Queen Mary Hospital, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China.
Ng
Anita S Y
AS
Lau
Winnie W
WW
Wong
Chi Cheong
CC
Chan
Clement W
CW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003261:Contact Lenses / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003315:Cornea / Q000382:microbiology; D004813:Epidemiology / Q000639:trends; D015817:Eye Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005670:Fusarium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007634:Keratitis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009181:Mycoses / Q000453:epidemiology; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016868:Serratia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D012706:Serratia marcescens / Q000302:isolation & purification