Herellea vaginicola and ocular infections

This case report describes a chronic medically-refractory corneal ulcer which eventually yielded Herellea vaginicola from resected corneal tissue. A review of the literature cites the occurrence of this organism as an inhabitant of normal conjunctiva, as an infrequent cause of conjunctivitis, and as the causative agent in two previous cases of corneal ulcers. This case illustrates the difficulty in the isolation of the organism and indicates the need for diagnostic and therapeutic keratectomy in conjunction with a conjunctival flap.