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LETTER TO EDITOR |
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Year : 1989 | Volume
: 37
| Issue : 1 | Page : 49-50 |
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Diphtheritic conjunctivitis. A rare case report in Indian literature
AN Boralkar
Lecturer in Microbiology, Dr V.M.Medical College, Sholapur-413 003, India
Correspondence Address: A N Boralkar Lecturer in Microbiology, Dr V.M.Medical College, Sholapur-413 003 India
Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None | Check |
PMID: 2807506
How to cite this article: Boralkar A N. Diphtheritic conjunctivitis. A rare case report in Indian literature. Indian J Ophthalmol 1989;37:49-50 |
A two and half year old female child was admitted to the out patient department of V.M. Medical College, Solapur, with complaints of rhinitis, intermittent fever (100- 103F) and bilateral conjunctival mucopurulent profuse discharge of four days duration. Clinical examination revealed-conjunctival congestion and chemosis associated with mild oedema of both the eye lids, while, cornea, iris, anterior chamber and pupil by torch light examination did not reveal any apparent abnormality.
Gram and Giemsa stained smears from the inflammed conjunctivae showed abundance of polymorphonuclear leucocytes and a few gram positive bacilli. Conjuctival swab and scraping were inoculated on common culture media. The colony smears showed gram positive bacilli while Albert's staining revealed 3-4 mm long slender bacilli studded with characteristic metachromatic granules. Subculture on Loffler's serum slope showed moist, confluent growth while potassium tellurite agar revealed greyish black, 1-2 mm sized circular low convex colonies. The morphological features of the colony smears were identical with that of the primary smear.
Glucose, sucrose and starch were fermented by the strain when tested in Hiss serum water, while phosphatase and urease tests were negative when compared with the positive and negative controls. The in vivo animal pathogenicity tests confirmed that the present isolate belonged to the gravis variant of Corynebacterium diphtheriae
Though Corynebacterium xerosis has been isolated from healthy and inflammed conjunctiva [1],[2] isolation of the pathogenic species of Corynebacterium diphtheriae has been rarely. reported [3],[4],[5] The present case manifested with catarrhal conjunctivitis and since there was no clinical evidence of diphtheritic pathology at the regular sites, the patient was discharged after local treatment. Subsequent follow up was not possible. The case is being reported for its unusual presentation and to our knowledge, such a case has not been described in Indian literature.
References | | |
1. | Sinha, B.N, and Das, M.S.: Bacterial and fungal flora of the conjuctival sacs in healthy and diseased eyes. Jour. of Ind. Med. Ass., 51 (5) : 217-222.1968. |
2. | Prabhakar, H., Chitkara, N.L. and Prabhakar, B.R. : Mycotic and bacterial flora of the conjunctival sacs in healthy and diseased eyes.Ind, Jr. of Path. and Bact. 12: 158-161, 1969. |
3. | Coachman, E.H. : Bilateral circumlimbal ulcers from malignant diphtheria. Am. J. Ophthalmol., 34: 1176, 1951. |
4. | Brooks, G.E., Bennett, J.V. and Feldman, R.A. : Diphtheria in the United States, 1959-1970. J. Infect. Dis. 129 :172-178. 1974. |
5. | Koopman, J.S, and Campbell, J.: The role of cutaneous diphtheria infections in a diphtheria epidemic. J. Infect. Dis. 131 : 239-244, 1975. |
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