First reported case of corneal infection caused by Atopobium vaginae

A man in his 20s, with irritation, pain and photophobia in the left eye, was clinically diagnosed with herpes simplex virus nummular keratitis at our institute and advised topical antivirals and corticosteroids, causing resolution of active infiltrates. The infection recurred after 7 months and the patient did not respond to the previous regimen, so corneal scraping was sent for microbiological evaluation. Gram-positive bacilli grew on culture, which were identified as Atopobium vaginae using VITEK 2 Compact system (bioMérieux, Marcy l'Etoile, France). Gatifloxacin eye drops were added based on antibiotic sensitivity patterns. Infiltrates resolved completely, leaving behind residual scars without any recurrences. This is the first reported case of corneal infection caused by A. vaginae, a bacterium known to reside in the urogenital tract. It caused secondary corneal infection in a case of recurrent herpes simplex keratitis. Species identification systems like VITEK 2 Compact can help identify such rare bacteria with great accuracy.