A CASE-REPORT OF MYCOBACTERIUM-CHELONAE KERATITIS AND A REVIEW OF MYCOBACTERIAL INFECTIONS OF THE EYE AND ORBIT

Mycobacteria are unusual causes of keratitis and other ocular infectio ns but the outcome of infection is often serious. We report a case of keratitis due to Mycobacterium chelonae, a rapidly growing environment al mycobacterium, in a soft contact-lens wearer, and discuss the diffi culty and delay in identifying the organism, twice erroneously identif ied as Nocardia asteroides on morphological grounds. Despite in vitro susceptibility, the response to anti-bacterial agents was negligible a nd a second keratoplasty was required after a recurrence of disease at the donor-host junction. We review the role of mycobacteria as the ca use of keratitis and other forms of ocular disease.