Haemophilus influenzae corneal ulcer associated with atopic keratoconjunctivitis and herpes simplex keratitis
- The Francis I Proctor Foundation-UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94143-0944, USA
- Correspondence to: Dr John P Whitcher; nepal{at}itsa.ucsf.edu
- Accepted 31 October 2001
Haemophilus influenzae is a rare cause of corneal ulceration, usually associated with previous corneal damage. To ensure appropriate treatment, the organism must first be identified by cultures in enriched media. We describe a case of keratitis caused by H influenzae associated with two risk factors—herpetic keratitis and atopic keratoconjunctivitis.
Case report
A 43 year old Hispanic male presented with 1 week of redness, blurred vision, pain, burning, and itching in the left eye. Past ocular history was remarkable for bilateral epithelial and interstitial herpetic keratitis and atopic keratoconjunctivitis with a previous shield ulcer in the left cornea. The patient was not using any medications at the onset of the current episode. He had a history of anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia and atopic dermatitis since birth. On examination, uncorrected visual acuity was 20/100 in the left eye. The skin of the eyelids was wrinkled, thickened, and …
