Two cases of keratitis and corneal ulcers caused by Burkholderia gladioli

Abstract

We report two cases of protracted keratitis complicated by corneal ulcer. Burkholderia gladioli, primarily known as a plant pathogen, was cultured from corneal swabs. The epithelial defects healed after extended adequate antibiotic therapy. Despite identical patterns of both strains in restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, a common infection source was not detectable.

FIG. 1.

Patient 1 on admission in September 2006 with keratitis and a central corneal ulcer.

FIG. 2.

Patient 2 with keratitis and corneal ulcer of the temporal lower quadrant.