Man contracts rare form of keratitis after accident chiselling cement

Clinicians have described their treatment of a patient in his 50s who contracted a rare form of keratitis following an accident while chiselling cement.

Writing in BMJ Case Reports, the authors shared that the man presented to Philippine General Hospital with a whitish opacity in his right eye.

He told clinicians that 12 hours earlier he was chiselling dry cement in a pool of water when a chip of cement entered his right eye.

The patient immediately rinsed his eye with water, but over the following hours he noticed a foreign body sensation in the affected eye, as well as redness and discharge.

Closer examinations by clinicians revealed a 2×1.5 mm anterior corneal stromal infiltrate with a brush-like border. The best corrected visual acuity in the right eye was 6/15.

The authors noted that a culture of the corneal scraping grew Shewanella algae, adding that this type of infection is usually associated with trauma while fishing in the sea.

The patient was managed with levofloxacin 1.5% eye drops every 2 hours, tobramycin 0.3% eye drops every 2 hours and atropine sulphate 1% eye drops three times a day.

A week following presentation, a slit lamp examination showed a clear cornea with resolution of the infiltrate.

The clinicians highlighted that timely diagnosis and directed treatment are “vital” in eradicating the infection without visual complications.

The patient shared his gratitude for receiving prompt treatment: “I am thankful that I consulted early in the course of my disease. My condition was diagnosed early, and was given timely management. My vision was saved,” he said.