Case series about severe corneal abscesses: Epidemiological, clinical and microbiological study (about 37 cases)

INTRODUCTION: corneal abscess is an infiltration of the layers of the cornea of infectious origin, it is an ophthalmological emergency, the objective of our study is to determine the epidemiological, microbiological and evolutive characteristics of corneal abscesses. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective, descriptive study of 37 patients hospitalized for corneal abscesses between January 2017 and February 2021 at the military hospital of Rabat. RESULTS: The average age of the patients in our study was 42 years. The median time before the consultation was 6 days. The most frequent risk factor was contact lens wear at 32.43%. Ocular trauma was reported in 13.51% of cases. Initial visual acuity was less than one tenth in all patients. Culture was positive in 67.56% of cases. The most common germ was Staphylococcus aureus with 32.43%, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa with 16.21% of cases. The prognosis was relatively good with prompt and adequate management. CONCLUSION: A good preliminary analysis of the risk factors, the mode of infection, and the adapted research of the incriminated germs allow a secondary adequate management of the severe corneal abscesses.