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Trauma, infectious keratitis most frequent indicators of pediatric keratoplasty in China

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Mechanical trauma and infectious keratitis are the most common indicators of pediatric keratoplasty and corneal blindness in children residing in north China, according to a study.

Weiyun Shi, MD, PhD, and colleagues at the Shandong Eye Institute in Qingdao examined 410 eyes of 371 children who underwent corneal transplantation at an average age of 7.8 years.

Of the 410 eyes, 99 eyes (24.2%) had sustained mechanical trauma and 93 eyes (22.7%) had infectious keratitis. Investigators also observed the development of congenital corneal opacities in 53 eyes (12.9%), chemical or thermal burns in 42 eyes (10.2%) and keratoconus in 37 eyes (9%), according to the study.

The researchers found that the incidence of corneal transplantation and infectious keratitis was significantly higher among children from rural backgrounds.

"Regraft was performed in 42 eyes, of which 17 had an original diagnosis of chemical or thermal burn," the authors noted.

The study is published in the November issue of Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology.