Blepharitis: epidemiology, etiology, clinical presentations, treatment and evolution of our patients

Abstract Objective: Blepharitis is one of the most commonly encountered conditions in ophthalmic practice and is a frequent cause of eye irritation and discomfort. Being a difficult to treat disease, the authors sought to better understand the epidemiology, etiology, clinical presentations, treatment and evolution of their patients, aiming at greater therapeutic success. Methods: The medical records of 124 patients of Centro de Oftalmologia Tadeu Cvintal who had blepharitis were retrospectively and cross-sectionally evaluated and underwent severity classification and collection of eyelid secretions for bacterial culture and antibiogram. Results: The mean age of the patients was 67.4 years, females accounted for 70 (56.4%) cases and males for 54 (43.5%). Regarding the severity of the disease, there were 71 cases of mild blepharitis (56.8%), 52 (41.6%) with moderate intensity and 2 (1.6%) severe cases. Evaluating the follow-up of treatment of the disease, it was observed that 103 (82.4%) patients did not return to evaluate the treatment outcome and only 22 (17.6%) returned. In respect of the cultures performed, 82 (66.1%) did not show microbial growth. Among the 42 (33.8%) positive samples, coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most prevalent, especially Staphylococcus epidermidis, responsible for 35 (83.3%) of them. As for antibiotic sensitivity, the agents in our sample showed greater resistance to Penicillin, Erythromycin and Ciprofloxacin and 100% sensitivity to Linezolid, Vancomycin and Daptomycin. Conclusion: By better understanding the epidemiological characteristics of blepharitis and the antimicrobial sensitivity of the bacteria involved, it is possible to offer more effective treatments.

摘要：
目的：睑缘炎（Blepharitis）是眼科临床最常见的病症之一，亦是眼部刺激与不适的常见诱因。该病治疗难度较高，本研究旨在深入探究患者群体的流行病学特征、病因、临床表现、治疗方案及病情转归，以期提升临床治疗成功率。
方法：对Centro de Oftalmologia Tadeu Cvintal眼科中心124例睑缘炎患者的病历资料进行回顾性横断面分析，对患者实施病情严重程度分级，并采集眼睑分泌物进行细菌培养与药敏试验。
结果：纳入研究的患者平均年龄为67.4岁，其中女性70例（占比56.4%），男性54例（占比43.5%）。按病情严重程度分层，轻度睑缘炎71例（56.8%），中度52例（41.6%），重度仅2例（1.6%）。对治疗随访情况进行分析可见，103例（82.4%）患者未复诊评估治疗效果，仅22例（17.6%）完成复诊。细菌培养结果显示，82例（66.1%）样本未检出微生物生长；42例（33.8%）样本呈阳性，其中凝固酶阴性葡萄球菌为最常见致病菌，尤以表皮葡萄球菌（Staphylococcus epidermidis）居多，共35例（占阳性样本的83.3%）。药敏试验结果表明，分离菌株对青霉素、红霉素及环丙沙星耐药性较强，而对利奈唑胺、万古霉素及达托霉素100%敏感。
结论：通过明确睑缘炎的流行病学特征及相关病原菌的抗菌药物敏感性，可为临床提供更为精准有效的治疗方案。