Microbial keratitis following corneal transplantation

PURPOSE: To determine the predisposing risk factors and analyse the clinical and microbiological profiles of microbial keratitis following corneal transplantation. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was done of hospital records of all patients who presented with microbial keratitis in the corneal graft between July 2000 and June 2005 at the Corneal Unit of Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. RESULTS: Eighty-one episodes of infection were identified in 62 patients over a 5-year period. Thirteen patients had multiple episodes of infection. The mean age of the patients was 70 +/- 16 years (range: 22-92 years). The median time interval between the graft and infection was 17 months (range: 6 days to 385 months). Twenty-two (35%) episodes of primary infection were related to sutures. The associated predisposing risk factors were failed graft (40%), dry eye (18%), Herpes simplex keratitis (8%), and ocular surface disease (8%). Forty-seven (76%) cases were culture positive for bacteria. Ten cases were positive for Herpes simplex virus (HSV) during presentation. CONCLUSION: Failed graft is a long-term risk factor for graft infection in addition to ocular surface disease and H. simplex keratitis. All the predisposing risk factors increase the risk of recurrent graft infection.