AIM:To investigate and analyze the epidemiology of serious corneal ulcer.

METHODS: A total of 133 serious corneal ulcercases from June 2010 to December 2013 in Xiangya Hospital Affiliated to Central South University were retrospectively reviewed for risk factors, demographic characteristics and diagnosis.

RESULTS: There were 91 male patients(68.4%)in the 133 patients. A peak incidence age was from 41 to 60 years old(82 cases, 44.4%). Most of patients were peasant(77 cases, 57.9%)and the percentage of the low schooling patients was 85.0%(113 cases). The number of patients who had been sick was 73 before hospitalization(54.9%)in all cases. The peak incidence season was January(34.6%). Average length of stay was 9.84d. The number of emergency cases was 44(33.1%). Most of patient were not only corneal ulcer cases but the hypopyon(92 cases, 69.2%). The figure of inpatients who received operations was 102 cases(76.7%). And the most of operations was amniotic membrane transplantation(31 cases, 39.2%). Additionally, this data was classified regard to gender differences.

CONCLUSION: The peasant of the middle age and elderly represents a distinct clinical group in the serious corneal ulcer in hospital. Severity, ocular trauma in agriculture and health awareness are the major predisposing factors.