title: [Therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty: indications and results in Tunisia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the experience of the Tunis Institute of Ophthalmology (Tunisia) in therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed 35 patients after therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty over a period of 6 years (between September 2002 and September 2008).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean patient age was 49.3 years. Men outnumbered women by a ratio of 2.5 to 1. The mean follow-up was 13.5 months. Corneal diseases within a therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty were divided into infectious keratitis (21 eyes) and noninfectious diseases (14 eyes). Herpetic keratitis was the most common etiology (11 eyes). The anatomical success rate was 92.4%, with infection eradicated in 80% of cases. The graft clarity at the end of follow-up was 54.2%. Rejection was the leading cause of graft opacification (50%). Final visual acuity was better than 1/10 in 25.7% of patients. Recovery of useful vision was observed in 45.7% of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty is a surgical technique that has proved its effectiveness in maintaining the integrity of the eyeball. The prognosis for this intervention would probably be better if it could be postponed.
authors.affiliation: Service B, Institut Hedi Rais d'Ophtalmologie de Tunis, 1006 Tunis, Tunisie. rlimaiem@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Limaiem
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mnasri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El Maazi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mghaieth
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chaabouni
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: El Matri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014416:Tunisia; D055815:Young Adult