Orthokeratology-associated infectious keratitis in a tertiary care eye hospital in Hong Kong.

Purpose: To analyze cases of orthokeratology-associated infectious keratitis managed in a tertiary care eye hospital in Hong Kong between 2003 and 2013.
Design: Retrospective study.
Methods: Case records of patients with infectious keratitis attributable to orthokeratology contact lenses were analyzed. Data analyzed included clinical features, microbiological evaluation, and treatment outcomes.
Results: A total of 23 patients were included (16 female, 7 male, mean age: 15.0 ± 4.2 years; range: 9-23 years). All patients were using overnight orthokeratology for an average of 2.7 ± 2.8 years (range: 3 months - 10 years) before the onset of infection. Clinical features included corneal infiltrate (n = 14, 60.9%) and corneal perineuritis (n = 12, 52.2%). Fifteen eyes (65.2%) had a positive microbiological culture obtained from corneal scrapings. The most commonly isolated organism was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 6), followed by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (n = 5) and Acanthamoeba (n = 3). Five cases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 5 cases of Acanthamoeba were identified from contact lenses or contact lens solution. The mean duration from disease onset to remission was 31.9 ± 34.9 days (range: 6-131 days). All patients responded to medical treatment, and no emergency surgical intervention was needed. The best-corrected logMAR visual acuity improved significantly from 0.62 ± 0.51 (20/83 Snellen) to 0.15 ± 0.20 (20/28 Snellen) (Wilcoxon signed rank test, P < .001).
Conclusions: Orthokeratology-associated infectious keratitis continues to be a serious problem, especially in regions with high prevalence of myopia. Early clinical and microbiological diagnosis and intensive treatment can improve final visual outcomes.
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