[Analysis of the transplanted corneas at Santa Casa de São Paulo Eye Bank].
OBJECTIVE
To identify the donors' profile and evaluate the factors influencing the quality of the donated corneas in Santa Casa Eye Bank, from July, 2000 to January, 2004.


METHODS
Data from the charts of 151 patients submitted to penetrating keratoplasty, registered in Santa Casa Eye Bank, from July, 2000 to January 2004 resulted in 180 surgeries.


RESULTS
Mean age of the donors was 57.57 +/- 19.74 years old (varied from 9 months to 97 years old) and 54.44% were male. The cause of death was predominantly cardiovascular (50.55%), followed by consumptive diseases (17.77%), trauma (14.44%) and others (17.22%). Considering the quality of the cornea, there was no statistically significant difference among the three main groups of cause of death (p=0.527) and time from death to corneal preservation (p=0.053). There was a statistically significant difference between quality of donated corneas above 61 years old and other ages (p=0.037).


CONCLUSIONS
The most frequent cause of death was cardiovascular, followed by pulmonary diseases and trauma. We could also note that factors inherent to donor like age (>60 years old) predisposed to a worse anatomical quality of the cornea and factors like cause of death and time between death and preservation did not influence the quality of the cornea.
Sano
Ronaldo Yuiti
RY
Seção de Retina, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. rysano@hotmail.com
Sano
Fabiana Tiemi
FT
Dantas
Maria Cristina Nishiwaki
MC
Lui
Aline Cristina Fioravanti
AC
Sano
Milena Eimi
ME
Neto
Adamo Lui
AL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005125:Eye Banks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009926:Organ Preservation / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult