Acute postoperative endophthalmitis caused by Gemella morbillorum

We present a case of Gemella morbillorum endophthalmitis after uneventful cataract surgery.

A 78-year-old woman developed progressive blurring of vision, hypopyon, and vitritis in the precocious postoperatory following cataract surgery. Pars plana vitrectomy and intraocular lens explantation were performed followed by intravitreal injection of vancomycin and ceftazidime. Postoperatively, the patient was given hourly topical fortified vancomycin according to antimicrobial susceptibility testing. At the final follow-up visit 6 months after the initial procedure, visual acuity was 20/50 and no signs or symptoms of endophthalmitis were observed.

The undiluted vitreous samples and explanted lens were analyzed. Cultures revealed the growth of G morbillorum, an infrequent opportunistic pathogen.

To date, this is the second reported case of postoperative endophthalmitis by this species. Although endophthalmitis is rare, ophthalmologists should be alert to the possibility of patients having endophthalmitis caused by G morbillorum. Especially, it is necessary to be cautious with surgery in patients with recent infections. A review of the medical literature of this rare ocular infection is presented.