Corynebacterium endophthalmitis. Laboratory studies and report of a case treated by vitrectomy
T. Hanscom and A. Maxwell
A Corynebacterium sp was isolated from the vitreous humor under aseptic
conditions on two separate occasions from a patient with endophthalmitis
resulting from a penetrating injury by a metallic foreign body. The
metallic foreign body was removed during a pars plana lensectomy and
anterior vitrectomy procedure; intravitreously injected methicillin sodium,
gentamicin sulfate, and dexamethasone sodium phosphate gave a functional
visual result. Intravitreous inoculation of rabbits with the
Corynebacterium isolate produced an endophthalmitis similar to that
produced in the patient, and subsequent cultures from the vitreous of the
inoculated rabbits grew the same Corynebacterium sp. To our knowledge, this
is the first reported case of endophthalmitis in which a Corynebacterium
sp was documented by intraocular culture.
