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Published on: May 12, 2020
Rhizobium radiobacter: A Recently Recognized Cause of Bacterial Keratitis
Nigel H Barker1, Jordan M Thompson, Martin G Mullen
1*Department of Ophthalmology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Bridgetown, Barbados;†Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL;‡Department of Ophthalmology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL;§University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL; and‖Ocular Microbiology Laboratory, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL.
Purpose:
To present the first reported cases of keratitis caused by Rhizobium radiobacter.
Methods:
A retrospective review of an observational case series from 2 institutions.
Results:
There were 4 cases of microbiologically proven R. radiobacter. Three of these patients were contact lens wearers. The patient in case 4 defaulted from follow-up after receipt of the culture result. Keratitis in the other cases resolved with variable clinical courses once culture-directed therapy was instituted.
Conclusions:
R. radiobacter is a member of the genus Rhizobium. It is a gram-negative bacillus and was previously identified as an opportunistic pathogen in nonophthalmic infections and in a few cases of endophthalmitis. To our knowledge, we have described the clinical presentation, management, and treatment outcomes of the first reported cases of keratitis caused by R. radiobacter.
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