This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citing articles on ISI (9)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal

Arch Ophthalmol. 1998;116:1382-1384.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy is becoming an increasingly popular method to treat ametropia. The main issue regarding the safety of this procedure has been the postoperative loss of best-corrected visual acuity from various origins, including irregular astigmatism, corneal scarring, and decentered ablations.¹ Infection following photorefractive keratectomy is rare; at least 7 patients developed infectious keratitis following excimer laser keratectomy, which in one case progressed to severe endophthalmitis.^1-2 We report Staphylococcus aureus keratitis in the early postoperative period following photorefractive keratectomy with the development of severe degenerative keratopathy.

A 27-year-old man was seen for a corneal ulcer in the left eye that had developed 2 days following an uncomplicated photorefractive keratectomy to correct high myopia. A bandage contact lens was placed over the eye that also was treated with topical trimethoprim sulfate–polymyxin B sulfate, fluorometholone, and ketorolac tromethamine. One day postoperatively, the cornea was clear and there was a mild anterior . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Corresponding author: Seymour Brownstein, MD, University of Ottawa Eye Institute, 501 Smyth Rd, Room 3818, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1H 8L6.