Microbiological Profile of Ocular Infection: A Large Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND: We aimed to elucidate the pathogenic bacterial and fungal profiles of specimens obtained from suspected ocular infections at Farabi Eye Tertiary Referral Hospital, Tehran, Iran. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we collected data from ocular specimens taken during the seven-year period of 2011 to 2018, and the results were then retrospectively analyzed. Samples had been obtained from patients who were investigated for ocular infections. RESULTS: Overall, 16,656 ocular samples were evaluated. The mean patient age was 48.31 ± 26.62 years. Most patients were men (60.33%), and men in the 7th decade of life were the largest represented group. The seasonal distributions of specimen collection sites followed the overall distribution of collection sites by year. Specimens obtained from the cornea were the most common (49.24%), also representing the largest number of specimens in all seasons. The most commonly isolated fungal microorganisms were Fusarium spp., followed by Aspergillus spp. and Candida albicans. Of the 6,556 specimens with positive bacterial cultures, 59% produced gram-positive bacteria, while the remainder produced gram-negative pathogens. The most commonly isolated bacteria were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (17.77%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (13.80%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (13.27%), S. viridans (12.23%), and S. aureus (11.18%). CONCLUSION: Most submitted specimens were obtained from the cornea. The most commonly isolated fungal microorganisms were Fusarium spp., followed by Aspergillus spp. and C. albicans. The most commonly isolated bacteria were P. aeruginosa, followed by S. epidermidis and S. pneumoniae.