Deep stromal mycobacterial keratitis: viable bacteria after six months of treatment: case report and literature review.
To report the presence of viable mycobacteria in a patient with keratitis treated for 6 months. Species identification was performed using the PRA method (polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction endonuclease analysis). Clonality was evaluated with RAPD (randomly amplified polymorphic DNA) and ERIC-PCR (enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-polymerase chain reaction) methods. The patient reported trauma due to a metallic foreign body 3 weeks prior to presentation. Initial corneal scraping cultures revealed Mycobacterium abscessus. After 6 months of topical and systemic treatment the patient presented with no active inflammation and was considered clinically cured. An optic penetrating keratoplasty was performed. Culture of the excised cornea revealed Mycobacterium abscessus. Both isolates had the same clonal origin. The most interesting finding of this case report was the positive culture of the excised cornea after 6 months of intensive specific topical therapy. To our knowledge, this is the first report in the literature showing this possibility in the treatment of Mycobacterial keratitis. Thus, Mycobacterium abscessus may present viable bacteria after long-term treatment and should be followed carefully for a long period of time after tapering the medication.
Gusmão
Filipe Accioly de
FA
Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP. figusmao@uol.com.br
Alvarenga
Lênio
L
Barbosa
Luciene
L
Sampaio
Jorge
J
Leão
Sylvia Cardoso
SC
Hofling-Lima
Ana Luisa
AL
Freitas
Denise de
Dd
D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D003315:Cornea / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005129:Eye Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007634:Keratitis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D008297:Male; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique / Q000379:methods; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000382:microbiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome