Endogenous endophthalmitis due to Listeria monocytogenes

ABSTRACT

The authors report a case of Listeria monocytogene endophthalmitis in a patient who had undergone cardiac revascularization surgery and was receiving systemic corticosteroids. The organism was isolated both in the aqueous humor and in blood cultures. The infection was successfully treated with intravenous crystalline penicillin, but the patient developed a bullous keratopathy and secondary glaucoma, resulting in poor visual acuity (counting fingers at 0.5 m). The visual acuity reovered to 20/30 after a penetrating keratoplasty and the galucoma was controlled with a Molteno implant and a trabeculectomy combined with adminsitration of mitomycin. Listeria moncytogenes endogenous endophthalmitis shoud be suspected in any immunosuppressed patient with severe anterior uveitis, especially when a brown hypopyon, high introcular pressure and corneal edema are present