title: Isolated Nocardia exalbida endogenous endophthalmitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report an immunocompetent patient with Nocardia exalbida endogenous endophthalmitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case report.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical-pathologic correlation and microbiologic evaluation were performed on an enucleated eye.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 56-year-old man presented with rapidly progressive vision loss associated with a posterior choroidal mass and serous retinal detachment. Pathologic evaluation of the enucleated eye demonstrated endogenous endophthalmitis. Nocardia exalbida was identified microbiologically. Systemic workup failed to demonstrate definite foci of systemic infection or evidence of immunocompromise. Review of literature failed to identify previously reported cases of Nocardia exalbida endophthalmitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nocardia can rarely cause isolated endogenous endophthalmitis in immunocompetent patients, which can contribute to a delay in diagnosis and vision loss. Endogenous Nocardia endophthalmitis typically occurs in immunocompromised patients with disseminated nocardiosis. Isolated endogenous Nocardia endophthalmitis in immunocompetent patients is rare. We describe isolated endogenous intraocular infection caused by Nocardia exalbida, a novel species, not previously associated with endophthalmitis.
authors.affiliation: The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, New York City, New York 10003, USA. tmilman@nyee.edu
authors.forename: Tatyana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Milman
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Trubnik
authors.forename: Mahendra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: McCormick
authors.forename: Paul T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Finger
mesh_terms: D018450:Disease Progression; D009877:Endophthalmitis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005123:Eye / Q000473:pathology; D015353:Eye Enucleation; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009617:Nocardia Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology