To evaluate the clinical features of infectious keratitis in the western coastal area of Chungcheongnam-do, Korea.

We performed bacterial and fungal cultures in patients with findings of infectious keratitis. Any correlations between the culture results and the patients' place of residence, occupation, types of ocular trauma, contact lens wear, previous ocular disease, duration of treatment for complete recovery, time between the onset of symptom and beginning of treatment were evaluated. In addition, we assessed the antibiotic susceptibilities of the cultured organisms.

We detected 34 (58.62%) among 58 cultures performed in 55 patients that were positive for organisms; 24 for Gram-positive bacteria, 17 for Gram-negative bacteria, 3 for fungi and 9 for polymicrobial infections. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) was the most frequent infection. The culture positivity rate was significantly higher ( P =0.047) in patients with history of previous ocular disease but no correlations were detected with place of residence, type of ocular trauma or the timing of culture. The average treatment period was 33.95±30.59 days, which extended as the lesion size increased ( P =0.003).

Pseudomonas species are considered to be the most frequent cause of infectious keratitis in Korea. However, in our study, CNS were the most frequent culture-positive organisms and visual prognosis was poorer in the culture-positive group.