Indications for and techniques of keratoplasty at Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology

AIM： To report the indications for and techniques of corneal transplantation at Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology （VNIO） over a period of 12y （2002-2013）, METHODS： Records of patients who had undergone corneal transplantation at VNIO from January 1, 2002 to January 1, 2014 were reviewed to determine the indication for and type of corneal transplant performed. Patient age, gender, indication for corneal transplantation and surgical technique were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS： Corneal transplantation were underwent in 1390 eyes of 1278 patients with a mean age of 44.9±18.1y during the period under review. The most common indication was infectious corneal ulcer （n=670; 48.2%）, followed by corneal scar （n=333, 24.0% ）, corneal dystrophy （n=138, 9.9%） and failed graft （n=112, 8.1%）. Nearly all procedures performed were penetrating keratoplasty （n=1300, 93.5% ）, with a few lamellar keratoplasty procedures performed： lamellar keratoplasty （n=52, 3.7%）, Descemet＇s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty （n =27, 1.9% ） and deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty （n =11, 0.8%）.CONCLUSION： While the most common indication for keratoplasty was infectious keratitis, nearly all indications for corneal transplantation were managed with penetrating keratoplasty, However, lamellar keratoplasty techniques, including deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty and Descemet＇s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty, are being performed with increasing frequency for isolated stromal and endothelial disorders, respectively,

Infectious keratitis in Vietnam:etiology,organisms,and management at Vietnam National Eye Hospital

AIM:To report the etiologies,risk factors,treatments,and outcomes of infectious keratitis(IK)at a major Vietnamese eye hospital.METHODS:This is a retrospective review of all cases of IK at Vietnam National Eye Hospital(VNEH)in Hanoi,Vietnam.Medical histories,demographics,clinical features,microbiological results,and treatment outcomes were reviewed.RESULTS:IK was diagnosed in 1974 eyes of 1952 patients,with ocular trauma being the greatest risk factor for IK(34.2%),frequently resulting from an agriculturerelated injur y(53.3%).The mean duration between symptom onset and presentation to VNEH was 19.3±14.4 d,and 98.7%of patients had been treated with topical antibiotic and/or antifungal agents prior to evaluation at VNEH.Based on smear results of 1706 samples,the most common organisms identified were bacteria(n=1107,64.9%)and fungi(n=1092,64.0%),with identification of both bacteria and fungi in 614(36.0%)eyes.Fifty-five of 374 bacterial cultures(14.7%)and 426 of 838 fungal cultures(50.8%)were positive,with the most commonly cultured pathogens being Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Streptococcus pneumonia,Fusarium spp.,and Aspergillus spp.Corneal perforation and descemetocele developed in 391(19.8%)and 93(4.7%)eyes,respectively.Medical treatment was successful in resolving IK in 50.4%eyes,while 337(17.1%)eyes underwent penetrating or anterior lamellar keratoplasty.Evisceration was performed in 7.1%of eyes,most commonly in the setting of fungal keratitis.CONCLUSION:Ocular trauma is a major risk factor for IK in Vietnam,which is diagnosed in almost 400 patients each year at VNEH.Given this,and as approximately one quarter of the eyes that develop IK require corneal transplantation or evisceration,greater emphasis should be placed on the development of prevention and treatment programs for IK in Vietnam.