The prevalence of chlamydia trachomatis among patients with acute conjunctivitis in Kasr Alainy ophthalmology clinic.
BACKGROUND
Trachoma is a leading cause of avoidable blindness and endemic conjunctivitis in 57 countries. It infects approximately 84 million people globally, and continues to threaten over 10% of the world's population with the risk of blindness.


METHODS
This is a cross sectional descriptive study assessing patients presenting with acute conjunctivitis. A full history was taken from patients followed by examination of both eyes. A conjunctival swab was taken and a sample of tears was collected and handled at the central laboratory unit at Kasr AlAiny hospital for culture and sensitivity of the swab and ELISA for tears searching for Immunoglobulin G and Immunoglobulin M of chlamydia trachomatis.


RESULTS
The prevalence of bacterial conjunctivitis encounted for 45.7% and non-bacterial 54.3% of the studied group. The anti-chlamydial antibodies were positive in the tears of 31.1% of patients. While the other bacterial organisms responsible for 14.6%.


CONCLUSIONS
The study concluded that trachoma accounts for one third of the cases of acute conjunctivitis while the other bacterial organisms responsible for about 14.6%. More than half of the cases have other causes as viral, allergic, mechanical or chemical induced conjunctivitis.
Family Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Maha Abdelrahman
MA
Mowafy
Family Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Nagwa Eid
NE
Saad
Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Hala Mohamed
HM
El-Mofty
Clinical and chemical pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Mervat Gaber
MG
ElAnany
Family Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Marwa Sayed
MS
Mohamed
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003231:Conjunctivitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006268:Health Facilities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009885:Ophthalmology; D015995:Prevalence; D014141:Trachoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
Chlamydia Trachomatis; blindness; conjunctivitis; trachoma