Nocardia asteroides subretinal abscess in patient with acute myelogenous leukemia after allogeneic stem cell transplant.

PURPOSE: Nocardia asteroides is the most common bacterial cause of subretinal abscesses; however, the diagnosis is often delayed because of the lack of suspicion leading to poor visual prognosis and possible enucleation. METHODS: A 40-year-old man with a history of allogeneic stem cell transplant presents with decreased vision and a macular subretinal abscess. RESULTS: Examination revealed decreased vision at 20/100 with a peripapillary creamy subretinal lesion extending to the nasal margin of the fovea associated with intraretinal and subretinal hemorrhages without vitritis. Workup revealed disseminated N. asteroides, confirmed with a skin biopsy with the involvement of skin, eyes, lungs, and brain. Intravitreal amikacin and vancomycin were promptly given along with systemic vancomycin, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, and meropenem. Vision improved rapidly to 20/40 with stabilization and eventual scarring of the lesion. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates that rapid diagnosis and treatment of subretinal N. asteroides can possibly have a good visual outcome and stabilization of the ocular manifestations.

Acute corneal edema with subsequent thinning and hyperopic shift following selective laser trabeculoplasty.

UNLABELLED: We report 4 cases of acute corneal edema with subsequent thinning and hyperopic shift following routine selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) for the treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma. Four women from 3 clinical sites developed acute corneal edema and haze within 2 days of uneventful SLT. In the following weeks to months, all treated corneas thinned to below pre-procedure thicknesses with resultant hyperopic shifts of nearly 2.0 diopters (D) to greater than 6.0 D. All eyes were moderately to highly myopic prior to SLT (spherical equivalent from -5.00 to -12.5 D). The corrected distance visual acuity 6 to 11 months after SLT was within 2 Snellen lines of the pre-procedure acuity in all patients; 2 patients required contact lenses. Corneal edema with subsequent corneal thinning and resultant hyperopic shift is an uncommon but possibly underrecognized complication of SLT, the etiology of which remains unknown but may be associated with moderate to high myopia. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.