Infectious Keratitis Caused by Shewanella Putrefaciens

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We report a case of infectious keratitis caused by Shewanella putrefaciens in a patient after fishing. CASE SUMMARY: A 75-year-old male with no underlying disease other than hypertension was admitted to our hospital because of decreased visual acuity and congestion in his left eye for 2 weeks. At the first ophthalmic examination, the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of the left eye was counting fingers. Slit lamp examination showed stromal infiltrates with 2.0 × 2.0 mm corneal epithelial defects, endothelial inflammatory plaques and 1 mm height hypopyon with severe inflammation in the anterior chamber. Bacterial culture tests were performed by corneal scraping, which were positive for Shewanella putrefaciens, followed by treatment with moxifloxacin and ceftazidime topical antibiotics. After 2 months of treatment, the BCVA of the left eye improved to 0.4 and the corneal lesion clinically improved with residual mild stromal opacity. CONCLUSIONS: Shewanella putrefaciens should be considered as a causal pathogen of infectious keratitis in patients after fishing. We report a case of infectious keratitis caused by Shewanella putrefaciens, which has never previously been reported in the Republic of Korea.