Examination of Staphylococcus aureus on the ocular surface of patients with catarrhal ulcers.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Staphylococcus aureus in the onset of ocular catarrhal ulcers.


METHODS
We examined the colonization by S. aureus of the ocular surface (conjunctival sac, upper and lower lid margins) of 3 patients with catarrhal ulcers and analyzed the S. aureus isolates by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.


RESULTS
S. aureus organisms were found on the lid margin of all eyes affected by catarrhal ulcers. The contralateral eye without ulcers harbored S. aureus exhibiting a pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern identical to that of the affected eye.


CONCLUSIONS
Although S. aureus on the lid margin plays an important role in the onset of catarrhal ulcers, its presence is one among several risk factors.
Ueta
Mayumi
M
Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyoku, Koto 602-0841, Japan. mueta@koto.kpu-m.ac.jp
Sotozono
Chie
C
Takahashi
Junko
J
Kojima
Kentaro
K
Kinoshita
Shigeru
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*; D005141:Eyelid Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014456:Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial