title: Pediatric microbial keratitis: a tertiary hospital study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the predisposing factors, clinical and microbiologic characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of pediatric microbial keratitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 80 eyes with (nonviral) microbial keratitis in 76 children aged 16 years or younger were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic features, predisposing factors, clinical features, etiologic microorganisms, and treatment outcomes were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-six patients met the inclusion criteria of this study, and the male to female ratio was 1.9:1. The average age of the children was 8.9 ± 5.7 years, and the mean duration of symptoms was 12.5 ± 9.8 days. The most common predisposing factor was trauma (58.8%). Thirty-nine (48.8%) of 80 cases were culture positive. Bacterial isolates were observed in 21 cases, being headed by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, and fungi were found in 19 cases, with Fusarium sp. the predominant pathogen. Fifty-nine cases required surgery intervention. Fifty of the 58 examined eyes achieved best-corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or better at the final follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The most common risk factor for childhood microbial keratitis was corneal trauma. The most frequent bacteria isolated were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, whereas the predominant fungi isolated were Fusarium species. Early diagnosis, intensive drug therapy, and timely surgical intervention may effectively improve the prognosis of pediatric microbial keratitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Xiusheng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Lingjuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Shiying
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Lixin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D015821:Eye Infections, Fungal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005658:Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents