Diagnostic approach and epidemiology of Microbial Keratitis: findings from an Italian Tertiary Care center.

• The epidemiology of 5 years of microbial keratitis (MK) cases in a reference center for corneal infections is discussed. • All the diagnostic procedures were performed in the Ophthalmology Unit after training the medical personnel and cooperating with the clinical microbiologists. • One hundred and seven microorganisms were isolated from 99 patients (the 54,1% of all who had performed corneal scraping cultures). Fungal and Acanthamoeba keratitis accounted for 43.9% of the cases. Rapid identification of causative microorganisms of microbial keratitis (MK) and knowledge of the most common local pathogens are prerequisites for rational antimicrobial therapy. We retrospectively reviewed the characteristics of MK diagnosed at the IRCCS Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova of Reggio Emilia (Italy) in a 5-years period, where the Ophthalmologist Unit is a reference center for corneal infections. During the study period, 183 MK were evaluated through corneal scrapings cultures. The positivity rate was 54,1%. A total of 107 microorganisms have been isolated: Acanthamoeba species was the etiologic agent in 19 cases. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were more frequently isolated in bacterial keratitis, while Fusarium spp., Candida albicans, and Alternaria alternata were predominant among the fungal isolates. Strict cooperation between ophthalmologists and clinical microbiologists is advisable to allow the best diagnostic approach for MK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]