Mycobacterium abscessus keratitis after LASIK surgery

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Microbiology

Background:

• A 33-year-old male experienced unilateral subacute infectious keratitis four weeks post-surgery.
• Corneal inflammation proved resistant to standard topical antibiotic treatments.

Discussion:

• Diagnostic flap lifting revealed flap melting and separation.
• Microbiological analysis identified atypical mycobacteria as the causative agent.
• Treatment involved topical fortified amikacin, clarithromycin, and systemic clarithromycin.

Key Insights:

• Atypical mycobacteria can cause severe post-surgical infectious keratitis.
• Aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic interventions are crucial for resistant cases.
• Combination antibiotic therapy is effective against atypical mycobacterial keratitis.

Outlook:

• Further research into novel therapeutic strategies for resistant microbial keratitis is warranted.
• Early microbiological diagnosis is critical for effective management of post-operative corneal infections.