[Role of Staphylococcus epidermidis in outer eye infections]

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) from 57 patients with outer eye infections and healthy control eyes were isolated according to the Schleifer and Cloos classification and the sensitivity to antibiotics of the isolated CNS was examined. The pathogenicity of CNS in rabbit cornea was studied by direct inoculation of CNS. The results showed that of 57 strains of CNS, 25 strains (43.9%) belonged to S. epidermidis, 22 (38.6%) belonged to non-detectable strains, 4 (7%) belonged to S. capitis, 3 (5.3%) belonged to S. hominis and 2 (3.5%) belonged to S. saprophyticus. Furthermore these CNS were resistant to aminoglycoside and machloride antibiotics which are commonly used as eye drops for ocular infectious diseases. Control rabbit corneas inoculated with CNS almost became clear within 24 hours. Therefore, it was suggested that ocular CNS infections can occur in immunologically compromised host patients.