Predisposing factors, clinical and microbiological insights of bacterial keratitis: analysis of 354 cases from a leading French academic centre

Abstract

AimsTo report an epidemiological update of bacterial keratitis (BK) in a tertiary ophthalmology centre over 20 months compared with a previous study on the same timeframe from 1998 to 1999.Methods354 patients with BK documented by microbiological corneal scraping or resolutive under antibiotics treatment from January 2020 to September 2021 were analysed retrospectively.ResultsOne or several risk factors were found in 95.2% of patients: contact lens wear (45.2%), ocular surface disease (25.0%), systemic disease (21.8%), ocular trauma (11.9%) and ocular surgery (8.8%). The positivity rate of corneal scrapings was 82.5%, with 18.2% polybacterial. One hundred seventy-five (59.9%) bacteria were Gram-negative, and 117 (40.1%) were Gram-positive. The most common bacteria werePseudomonas aeruginosa(32.5%),Moraxellaspp (18.1%) andStaphylococcus aureus(8.2%). Final visual acuity (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) was associated with age (r=+0.48; p=0.0001), infiltrate size (r=+0.32; p<0.0001), ocular surface disease (r=+0.13; p=0.03), ocular trauma (r=-0.14; p=0.02) and contact lens wear (r=−0.26; p<0.0001). Gram-negative bacteria were responsible for deeper (r=+0.18; p=0.004) and more extensive infiltrates (r=+0.18; p=0.004) in younger patients (r=−0.19; p=0.003). Compared with the previous period, the positivity rate of corneal scrapings and the proportion of Gram-negative bacteria, especiallyMoraxellaspp, increased. AllP. aeruginosaandMoraxellaspp were sensitive to quinolones, and allS. aureuswere sensitive to both quinolones and methicillin.ConclusionContact lens wear remained the leading risk factor. The bacteria distribution was reversed, with a predominance of Gram-negative bacteria and increasedMoraxellaspp.