A 3-year retrospective review of corneal ulcers in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia

Background. Microbial keratitis which is also known as corneal ulcer, is a common ocular infection that can result in debilitating monocular visual impairment. Identifying the prevalence and the latest trend of the causative agents will be useful in the management of corneal ulcer. Objectives. To evaluate the demographic and epidemiology factors of microbial keratitis at a tertiary hospital in a rural state of Malaysia. Material and methods. This is a retrospective review with a total recruit of 137 patients who were admitted to the Ophthalmology ward in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia. A retrospective review of the demographic data and results of corneal tissue sampling were documented. Results. Demographic data showed similarity to other studies where it affected most commonly in the productive age. It was also more commonly seen in male patients than in female. Bacterial keratitis (51.1%) was found to be more common than fungal keratitis (24.8%). In cases of bacterial keratitis, Pseudomonas spp. was the commonest causative agent, while in cases of fungal keratitis, Fusarium spp. was the commonest fungus microbial agent. Conclusions. With the knowledge of the demographical and epidemiological factors of microbial keratitis of a region, clinicians will be able to initiate prompt treatment at the early stages of the disease. Thus, less complications will arise from the disease and a better visual outcome provided.