Author(s)

Yixin Wang^1,2, Yang Zhang³, Zhirong Lin^1,2, Huping Wu^1,2*, Cheng Li^1,2*

¹Eye Institute & Affiliated Xiamen Eye Center, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
²Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Xiamen, China.
³Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

Background: Infectious keratitis after refractive surgery is uncommon, and mycobacterium abscess has never been observed in corneal infections in China. Purpose: To propose an unusual presentation of two cases about Mycobacterium abscess infection after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Participants: Both cases 1 and 2 were females who exhibited a corneal ulceration after LASIK in the same hospital. Methods: The first patient in the study was a 28-year-old woman who underwent Epi-LASIK surgery in both eyes. She developed an infectious corneal ulcer in one eye after 50 days post-surgery. She was referred to our out-patient clinic 3 months post-surgery with corneal perforation, and was treated with a therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty. The second patient was a 27-year-old woman who developed infectious keratitis in one eye after 2 months after bilateral LASIK and was referred to us 3 months later. Results: Cultures in both the cases were identified as a Mycobacterium abscess, and case 1 was treated with penetrating keratoplasty eventually, while case 2 recovered after sensitive treatment. Conclusions: Infectious keratitis after refractive surgery is uncommon, and Mycobacterium abscess has never been observed in corneal infections. An accurate diagnosis and identification of the causative agent is very important.

LASIK, Mycobacterium abscess, Infection

Wang, Y. , Zhang, Y. , Lin, Z. , Wu, H. and Li, C. (2019) Case Studies of Mycobacterium abscess Infection after Laser in Situ Keratomileusis. Case Reports in Clinical Medicine, 8, 307-314. doi: 10.4236/crcm.2019.812038.