Mycobacterium chelonei keratitis: a case report

The case is reported of a patient who initially presented with a dendritiform corneal ulcer that ultimately failed to heal and in which Mycobacterium chelonei was repeatedly cultured. The organism was sensitive only to kanamycin and amikacin; however, topical administration of these antibiotics failed to achieve a complete cure. Penetrating keratoplasty was ultimately required to eradicate the organism from the cornea.