Mycobacterium chelonae Keratitis following Keratorefractive Lenticule Extraction: Highlighting Diagnostic and Treatment Complexities

Introduction: This is a rare case of Mycobacterium chelonae keratitis following keratorefractive lenticule extraction (KLEX). Case Presentation: A 35-year-old female presented to the emergency eye clinic with 4 days of eye pain and decreased vision following KLEX surgery. She was using to...

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Main Authors: Natalie Elizabeth Allen, Sarah Sarah, Sally Roberts, Stephen R. Ritchie, Alexandra Z. Crawford, Bia Kim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Karger Publishers 2025-03-01
Series:Case Reports in Ophthalmology
Online Access:https://karger.com/article/doi/10.1159/000545563
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author Natalie Elizabeth Allen
Sarah Sarah
Sally Roberts
Stephen R. Ritchie
Alexandra Z. Crawford
Bia Kim
author_facet Natalie Elizabeth Allen
Sarah Sarah
Sally Roberts
Stephen R. Ritchie
Alexandra Z. Crawford
Bia Kim
author_sort Natalie Elizabeth Allen
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: This is a rare case of Mycobacterium chelonae keratitis following keratorefractive lenticule extraction (KLEX). Case Presentation: A 35-year-old female presented to the emergency eye clinic with 4 days of eye pain and decreased vision following KLEX surgery. She was using topical tobramycin drops four times per day, which was changed to ciprofloxacin drops. Following initial improvement, the eye deteriorated with further stromal infiltrates. A corneal culture identified M. chelonae. The keratitis required extensive topical and systemic medications, repeat scrapes, and an amniotic membrane over several weeks to reach quiescence. Vision deteriorated to hand movements, but an emergency keratoplasty was avoided. Conclusion: This is the third reported case serving to highlight the diagnostic and treatment challenges associated with postoperative keratitis involving nontuberculous mycobacteria.
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publishDate 2025-03-01
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series Case Reports in Ophthalmology
spelling doaj-art-92f94cbb714b4b0590f53f0eab7fdc402025-08-20T01:51:03ZengKarger PublishersCase Reports in Ophthalmology1663-26992025-03-0116130230710.1159/000545563Mycobacterium chelonae Keratitis following Keratorefractive Lenticule Extraction: Highlighting Diagnostic and Treatment ComplexitiesNatalie Elizabeth AllenSarah SarahSally RobertsStephen R. RitchieAlexandra Z. CrawfordBia Kim Introduction: This is a rare case of Mycobacterium chelonae keratitis following keratorefractive lenticule extraction (KLEX). Case Presentation: A 35-year-old female presented to the emergency eye clinic with 4 days of eye pain and decreased vision following KLEX surgery. She was using topical tobramycin drops four times per day, which was changed to ciprofloxacin drops. Following initial improvement, the eye deteriorated with further stromal infiltrates. A corneal culture identified M. chelonae. The keratitis required extensive topical and systemic medications, repeat scrapes, and an amniotic membrane over several weeks to reach quiescence. Vision deteriorated to hand movements, but an emergency keratoplasty was avoided. Conclusion: This is the third reported case serving to highlight the diagnostic and treatment challenges associated with postoperative keratitis involving nontuberculous mycobacteria. https://karger.com/article/doi/10.1159/000545563
spellingShingle Natalie Elizabeth Allen
Sarah Sarah
Sally Roberts
Stephen R. Ritchie
Alexandra Z. Crawford
Bia Kim
Mycobacterium chelonae Keratitis following Keratorefractive Lenticule Extraction: Highlighting Diagnostic and Treatment Complexities
Case Reports in Ophthalmology
title Mycobacterium chelonae Keratitis following Keratorefractive Lenticule Extraction: Highlighting Diagnostic and Treatment Complexities
title_full Mycobacterium chelonae Keratitis following Keratorefractive Lenticule Extraction: Highlighting Diagnostic and Treatment Complexities
title_fullStr Mycobacterium chelonae Keratitis following Keratorefractive Lenticule Extraction: Highlighting Diagnostic and Treatment Complexities
title_full_unstemmed Mycobacterium chelonae Keratitis following Keratorefractive Lenticule Extraction: Highlighting Diagnostic and Treatment Complexities
title_short Mycobacterium chelonae Keratitis following Keratorefractive Lenticule Extraction: Highlighting Diagnostic and Treatment Complexities
title_sort mycobacterium chelonae keratitis following keratorefractive lenticule extraction highlighting diagnostic and treatment complexities
url https://karger.com/article/doi/10.1159/000545563
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