[Infectious keratitis in children: an epidemiological and microbiological study in a university hospital in Asunción-Paraguay].

PURPOSE: To describe the microbiologic aspects of infectious keratitis in children (0-18 years old) examined at the Department of Ophthalmology of the National University of Asunción-Paraguay, during a 14-year period (1988-2002).

METHODS

The authors retrospectively studied 146 children, under 18 years old, with infectious keratitis at the Department of Ophthalmology of the National University of Asunción-Paraguay, from 1988 to 2002.

RESULTS

The cultures were positive in 113 patients (77%) with 70% of bacterial and 30% of fungal etiology. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (23.1%), Staphylococcus aureus (19.2%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12.8%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (12.8%) were the most common microorganisms isolated. Acremonium ssp (25%), Fusarium ssp (14%) and Aspergillus fumigatus (14%) were the fungi isolated.

CONCLUSIONS

Ulcerative keratitis in children examined at the Department of Ophthalmology of the National University of Asunción-Paraguay is of bacterial origin in most of the cases.