Corynebacterium amycolatum: an unusual cause of corneal ulcer

Abstract

Here, we report a novel case of corneal ulcer in a 72-year-old patient with diabetes caused by Corynebacterium amycolatum. This organism should not be ignored as a harmless commensal whenever it is isolated in pure form in repeat cultures of the specimen along with a leucocyte reaction in direct microscopic examination. Moreover, this organism is multidrug-resistant, so species identification of diphtheroids is important to start appropriate antibiotic therapy. There are very few published reports of ocular infection and none of corneal ulcer by this organism.