title: Association between culture results of corneal scrapings and culture and histopathology results of corneal tissues in therapeutic keratoplasty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To correlate the culture results of corneal scrapings with culture and histopathology results of corneal tissues in therapeutic keratoplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of the culture results of corneal scrapings and corneal tissues of eyes that received therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty at a tertiary eye care center between December 2006 and November 2008 was conducted. As per the preferred practice, those cases that did not respond to appropriate antimicrobial therapy and/or presented with a large infiltrate/perforation received therapeutic keratoplasty. The microbiology and histopathology findings of the corneal tissues were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-eight therapeutic keratoplasties were performed on 36 patients. Although all cases had histopathology and culture of the corneal tissue, corneal scrapings were not performed in 4 cases. Corneal scrapings and corneal tissues were culture-positive in 76% (26 of 34) and 60% (23 of 38) of cases, respectively. In 8 cases, the corneal scrapings and corneal tissues yielded identical organisms, whereas different organisms grew in 4 cases. In 6 cases, the corneal tissues were culture-positive but the corneal scrapings were sterile. In 20 cases, the corneal tissues were culture-positive for fungus and also showed fungal filaments in their corresponding histopathology specimens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Corneal tissue culture can provide additional information in cases undergoing therapeutic keratoplasty. It helps to determine the management of patients after keratoplasty.
authors.affiliation: Cornea and Anterior Segment Service, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India. sujatadas@lvpei.org
authors.forename: Sujata
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Savitri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Omega
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Priyadarshini
authors.forename: Srikant K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sahu
authors.forename: Sarita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kar
authors.forename: Geeta K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Vemuganti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D003315:Cornea / Q000382:microbiology; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D015821:Eye Infections, Fungal / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005658:Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult