Endophthalmitis caused by exogenous nocardial infection in a patient with Sjögren's syndrome

Can J Ophthalmol. 1990 Feb;25(1):29-33.

Abstract

A 60-year-old woman receiving prednisolone therapy for Sjögren's syndrome presented with corneal perforation. Therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty was performed, but no causative organism was identified. Focal inflammatory infiltrates in both donor and host cornea and anterior uveitis developed postoperatively. Five months later the inflammation rapidly became much worse, with fulminating abscesses, and the eye was eviscerated because of severe endophthalmitis. Nocardia organisms were identified in the cornea, conjunctiva and vitreous by means of acridine orange and modified Ziehl-Neelsen stains. The infection produced both suppurative and granulomatous inflammation. Reexamination of the penetrating keratoplasty specimen with a modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain revealed a few Nocardia organisms, which suggested that infection had occurred at the time of corneal perforation.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Chloramphenicol / therapeutic use
  • Corneal Diseases / complications*
  • Corneal Diseases / surgery
  • Endophthalmitis / drug therapy
  • Endophthalmitis / etiology*
  • Endophthalmitis / pathology
  • Eye Enucleation
  • Eye Infections, Bacterial / drug therapy
  • Eye Infections, Bacterial / etiology*
  • Eye Infections, Bacterial / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Keratoplasty, Penetrating
  • Middle Aged
  • Nocardia Infections / drug therapy
  • Nocardia Infections / etiology*
  • Nocardia Infections / pathology
  • Prednisolone / therapeutic use
  • Sjogren's Syndrome / complications*
  • Staphylococcus epidermidis / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Chloramphenicol
  • Prednisolone