PURPOSE: To determine and compare with the literature data related on age, sex and the main indications for penetrating keratoplasty at the São Geraldo Hospital of Federal Universidade of Minas Gerais (UFMG), from january 1999 until december 2005. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed using data from 887 patients submitted to corneal transplantation from january 1999 until december 2005. These data were obtained from the archives of the Central Notification of State of Minas Gerais, MG-Transplantes database, and from the medical records of the São Geraldo Hospital Corneal Department. The data collected were: age, gender and preoperative diagnosis of corneal diseases. A comparative analysis of the most common indications from january 1999 until june 2002 and from july 2002 until december 2005 was also performed. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 48.3 years, ranging from 4 months to 97 years. The most common corneal graft indications were ulcerative conditions (34.95%), keratoconus (16.35%), bullous keratopathy (16.01%), leukoma (14.09%), primary graft failure (7.89%), graft rejection (5.64%), Fuchs dystrophy (1.92%), other dystrophies (1.47%), undetermined causes (1.23) and other causes (0.45%). CONCLUSION: The main indication for penetrating keratoplasty was corneal ulcer which was almost perfured or perfured, responding for 310 transplants (34.95%). There was a substantial increase in the frequency of pseudophakic bullous keratopathy on the studied period. Even though, a significant increase in the number of corneal transplants, new strategies must be implanted to decrease the number of PK for ulcerative conditions.
Corneal diseases; Corneal graft; keratoplasty, penetrating
