title: Risk factors, microbiological profile, and treatment outcomes of pediatric microbial keratitis in a tertiary care hospital in Hong Kong.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the risk factors and microbiological profile of pediatric microbial keratitis cases in a tertiary care hospital in Hong Kong.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case records of patients <18 years old with microbial keratitis were reviewed over a period of 10 years, between January 2001 and December 2010. Risk factors, microbiological profile, and treatment outcomes were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 18 patients (13 female, 5 male) with unilateral microbial keratitis were included. The mean age was 12.4 years (range: 3-17 years). The most commonly associated risk factor was contact lens wear (15, 83.3%). Seven cases (38.8%) were associated with orthokeratology lenses. Two cases (11.1%) were related to intrinsic keratopathy and 1 case (5.5%) was infected secondary to trauma. Microbiological culture was positive in 16 cases (88.8%). Overall, Pseudomonas sp. was the most commonly isolated organism (10/16, 62.5%), followed by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (5/16, 31.2%) and Corynebacterium sp. (2/16, 12.5%). All cases responded to intensive medical management with topical antibiotics. One case with posttraumatic keratitis required stepped surgeries with initial tectonic penetrating keratoplasty followed by lens aspiration and retinal detachment repair. At the last follow-up, 13 out of 17 eyes (76.5%) had best-corrected visual acuity ≥20/40.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contact lens wear was the most commonly encountered risk factor for the occurrence of microbial keratitis in the pediatric age group in our setting. Orthokeratology remains one of the leading causes of contact lens-related infections. The majority of the cases responded to medical management.).
authors: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Department of Ophthalmology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Alvin L
authors: AL
authors: Young
authors: King S
authors: KS
authors: Leung
authors: Nicole
authors: N
authors: Tsim
authors: Mamie
authors: M
authors: Hui
authors: Vishal
authors: V
authors: Jhanji
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions