Mycobacterium chelonei keratopathy with visual rehabilitation by a triple procedure

We report a chronic keratouveitis following an eye injury, the etiology of which remained obscure despite repeated corneal scrapings and cultures. Eventually, the diagnosis was established by culturing Mycobacterium chelonei from a corneal biopsy specimen. Topical amikacin resolved active inflammation, but dense corneal scarring and a cataract remained. Visual rehabilitation was achieved through a combined penetrating keratoplasty, extracapsular cataract extraction, and intraocular lens implantation. This case illustrates that there should be a high index of suspicion of atypical mycobacteria when faced with any unusual keratitis, particularly following penetrating injuries and corneal grafts.