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Corynebacterium macginleyi: a conjunctiva specific pathogen
A M Joussen1, G Funke, F Joussen
1Department of Ophthalmology, Technical University of Aachen (RWTH), Aachen, Germany. JoussenA@aol.com
Background:
Although non-diphtherial corynebacteria are ubiquitous in nature and commonly colonise the skin and mucous membranes of humans, they rarely account for clinical infection.
Methods And Results:
10 patients with unilateral conjunctivitis are described in which Corynebacterium macginleyi was isolated. This species has only recently been reported to be exclusively isolated form ocular surfaces. C macginleyi was uniformly susceptible to topical antibiotics commonly used in ophthalmology.
Conclusion:
Despite the fact that the pathogenicity of C macginleyi is not yet assured, this micro-organism should be recognised as a potential cause of bacterial superinfections. Appropriate antibiotic therapy leads to its elimination and resolution of the conjunctivitis.