The severe corneal abscess : report of 14 cases

Y.Bennouk[1]; A.Chekabab[2]; S.Louaya[3]; M.Kriet[4] ;K.Reda[5]; A.Oubaaz[6]
Page No. 5-11

Aim: Present the clinical, microbiological and therapeutic corneal abscesses treated in the
ophthalmology department of the Military Hospiltal of Rabat (Morocco).Methods: We conducted a
retrospective study over 4 years in patients hospitalized at the military hospital in Rabat for severe
corneal abscess.Results: Fourteen patients had a unilateral corneal abscess. The average age was
46.28 years. Was male predominance. The average period of consultation was 7 days. The average
length of hospital stay was 19 days. A risk factor was identified in 78.5% of cases with contact lens
wear (21.4%), the closed eye injury (21.4%) and eye surgery (14.2%). The removal of corneal
helped isolate the causative organisms in 78.5%, coagulase negative Staphylococcus and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the species most frequently encountered. All patients received
broad-spectrum antibiotics after appropriate to the sensitivity. The anatomical evolution was good
for 13 patients (92.8%), with one case of evisceration.Functional recovery after treatment was good
for one patient and seven patients were scheduled for a cold corneal transplant.Discussion: The
delay of consultation after the onset of functional symptoms, the importance of inflammation in the
anterior chamber, the virulence of the organism and poor initial visual acuity was correlated with
an unfavorable functional outcome.Conclusion: Thecornealabscessis a serious disease of
thecornea, anurgenttherapeutic careandguidedbymicrobiological diagnosisisacrucial factor
forvisual prognosis.
Key words: Corneal abscess, epidemiology, infectious agents, risk factors, treatment.