title: Corneal infection in Shandong peninsula of China: a 10-year retrospective study on 578 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the epidemiological characteristics, clinical signs, laboratory findings, and outcomes in patients with corneal infection in Shandong peninsula of China.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 578 inpatients (578 eyes) with corneal infection were reviewed retrospectively for demographic characteristics, risk factors, seasonal variation, clinical signs, laboratory findings, and treatment strategy. Patient history, ocular examination findings using slit-lamp biomicroscopy, laboratory findings resulted from microbiological cultures, and treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fungal keratitis constituted 58.48% of cases of infectious keratitis among the inpatients, followed by herpes simplex keratitis (20.76%), bacterial keratitis (19.03%) and acanthamoeba keratitis (1.73%). The most common risk factor was corneal trauma (71.80%). The direct microscopic examination (338 cases) using potassium hydroxide (KOH) wet mounts was positive in 296 cases (87.57%). Among the 298 fungal culture-positive cases, Fusarium species were the most common isolates (70.47%). A total of 517 cases (89.45%) received surgical intervention, including 255 (44.12%) cases of penetrating keratoplasty, 74 (12.80%) cases of lamellar keratoplasty which has become increasingly popular, and 77 cases (13.32%) of evisceration or enucleation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At present, infectious keratitis is a primary corneal disease causing blindness in China. With Fusarium species being the most commonly identified pathogens, fungal keratitis is the leading cause of severe infectious corneal ulcers in Shandong peninsula of China.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Jing
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao 266011, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Hai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Peng-Peng
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao 266011, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Zhan-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ivey Eye Institute, St Joseph's Hospital, Lawson Health Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, Ontario N6A 4V2, Canada.
authors.forename: Alexander J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Mao
keywords: epidemiology; etiology; keratitis; retrospective study