Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To study the aerobic conjuntival flora of diabetic patients and its relation to the presence and stage of diabetic retinopathy, the duration of the disease and demographic characteristics. Methods: Patients with no evidence of ocular surface alteration whom declared to be on hypoglicemic therapy due to diabetes were studied. Patients that informed to be on topical ocular treatment were not included. All patients underwent slit-lamp evaluation, conjunctival scrapings and fundoscopy. The data from the diabetic patients were compared to non-diabetic patients Results: One hundred and three diabetic patients (group A) and 60 non-diabetic patients (group B) were included. The frequency of positive conjunctival cultures was significantly higher in the diabetic group (94,18%) when compared to the control group (73,33%). Among diabetic patients, a significantly higher frequency of positive cultures was detected in those with moderate, severe or very severe non-proliferative or proliferative diabetic retinopathy when compared to those without diabetic retinopathy or with mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The duration of the diabetes informed by the patient and the hypoglicemic therapy were not related to the cultures results. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was the most common isolate in diabetic patients, followed by Corynebacterium sp and Staphylococcus aureus. The isolation of coagulase negative Staphylococcus was more frequent in patients with moderate, severe or very severe non-proliferative or proliferative diabetic retinopathy when compared to those without diabetic retinopathy or with mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The species isolated in diabetic patients did not differ from those isolated in non-diabetic patients. Conclusion: The presence of diabetic retinopathy might be an indicator of an altered ocular flora even in patients with no alteration detected by slit-lamp examination.
Keywords: 365 conjunctiva • 387 diabetes