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Updated: Sep 30, 2025
Ye's Swing Technique for Small-incision Lenticule Extraction Surgery
Published on: June 27, 2025
Late-Onset Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Keratitis After Small Incision Lenticule Extraction
Kelvin H Wan1,2, Julia T W Lam1,2, Nai Man Lam1,2
1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; and.
Purpose:
The purpose of this article was to report a case of unilateral late-onset nontuberculous mycobacterial keratitis after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE).
Methods:
This was a case report.
Results:
A 27-year-old woman presented with Mycobacterium chelonae keratitis 3 weeks after uncomplicated SMILE with a solitary interface infiltrate. The keratitis worsened after an initial response to topical fortified and interface antibiotic irrigation. Despite repeated interface irrigation and topical and oral antibiotics, progressive, diffuse stromal infiltrates followed by melting of the cap ensued over the next 6 weeks. Cap amputation and intrastromal antibiotic injection followed by prolonged topical and oral antibiotics usage for the following 5 weeks led to infiltrate resolution and re-epithelization of the residual stromal bed. All medications were tapered off over 6 months after initial presentation without recurrence, but anterior stromal scarring and corneal neovascularization persisted.
Conclusions:
Cap amputation and intrastromal antibiotic injection for intractable post-SMILE keratitis can prevent the need for therapeutic keratoplasty.
