[Corneal ulcer caused by Nocardia asteroides after penetrating keratoplasty]

We report the case of a 43-years-old patient, to whom a corneal transplantation was made because he presented a Salzmann nodular degeneration in his left eye. The patient was observed every week and his development during the following months was good. Nine weeks later he was attended at the emergency room of the hospital, with an intensive secretion and partial loss of vision in the operated eye. It was detected a peripheral ulcer of a diffused borders with a loss of epithelium and anterior stroma in the superior temporal part of the cornea. Five days later, the microbiological cultures confirmed the presence of Nocardia asteroides. In spite of the initial good evolution of the ulcer treated topically with a 20% sulfacetamide and trimetoprim-sulfadiacine p.o., the graft ended unsuccessfully.