Table 1

Organisms identified in cultures of corneal scrapings in the elderly

Organisms Number of isolates (n=99) Percentage (n=74)
Total bacteria86.5
Total Gram positive cocci4662.2
 Staphylococcus epidermidis 23  (7)31.1
 Staphylococcus aureus 8 (4)10.8
 Micrococcus species11.4
 Streptococcus pneumoniae 10 (3)13.5
 α-haemolyticStreptococcus 3 (1)4.1
 non-haemolytic Streptococcus 1 (1)1.4
Total Gram positive bacilli1518.9
 Corynebacterium species9 (6)12.2
 Corynebacterium pyogenes 2 (1)2.7
 Corynebacterium hofmannii 1 (1)1.4
 Bacillusspecies22.7
 Bacillus subtilis 1 (1)1.4
Total Gram negative cocci
 none
Total Gram negative bacilli1216.2
 Pseudomonas aeruginosa 8 (3)10.8
 Pseudomonas species2 (1)2.7
 Proteus mirabilis 2 (2)2.7
 Moraxellaspecies22.7
 Moraxella lacunata 11.4
 unidentified anaerobic GNB1 (1)1.4
Total parasites1.4
 Acanthamoeba species1 (1)1.4
Total fungus25.7
Total filamentous fungi2125.7
 Aspergillus flavus 45.4
 Aspergillus terreus 11.4
 Aspergillus niger 1 (1)1.4
 Aspergillus species11.4
 Curvularia lunata 2 (2)2.7
 Curvularia verruculosa 11.4
 Exserohilum species11.4
 Fusarium roseum 2 (2)2.7
 Fusarium solani 1 (1)1.4
 unidentified dematiaceous fungus5 (3)6.8
 unidentified hyaline fungus2 (1)2.7
Total yeast-like fungi
 none

  • ↵Polymicrobial cultures in parentheses.

  • ↵Percentage of culture positive cases (n=74). Total is greater than 100% because of polymicrobial infections.