Corneal Abscesses Profile and Management: A 5 Years Experience in a Tertiary Eye Care Center

Aims: To define the epidemiological, clinical, bacteriological, therapeutic and progressive characteristics of severe corneal abscesses treated in a tertiary eye care center.

Study Design: Retrospective Study.

Place and Duration of Study: The ophthalmology department of The Mohammed V Military Medical Training Hospital in Rabat, and covering patients with corneal abcesses from January 2014 to December 2018.

Results: We report 30 cases of severe corneal abscess. With a sex ratio of 1.2, average age of 42.20 years, ranging from 16 to 74 years. The average consultation time after the onset of the first symptoms was 6.6 days with extremes of 2 to 14 days. The initial visual acuity, at the time of hospitalization, was between 03/10 and absence of light perception. The diameter of the abscess was between 2 and 5 mm in 6 cases (20%) and greater than 5 mm in 24 cases (80%). For 4 patients the light perception was negative before hospitalization. For 5 patients, the infection did not have much impact on function of which two patients recovered 10/10 and for 16 patients the acuity remained reduced (between positive light perception at 01/10). Eight patients were cold programmed for corneal transplantation. And 4 cases for evisceration.