Autoimmune keratitis in mycobacterium tuberculosis.

PURPOSE: To report a case of autoimmune keratitis in a patient with mycobacterium tuberculosis (MBT).

METHODS

An 84-year-old male with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) was admitted with chronic, non-healing bilateral ulcerations of the inferior peripheral cornea associated with stromal and subconjunctival nodules.

RESULTS

Clinical examination revealed circumscribed peripheral corneal ulceration with whitish nodules in adjacent stromal and subconjunctival tissue. Microbiological cultures of the corneal tissue were negative for MBT and other microbial pathogens; however, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of blood and corneal samples showed significantly elevated levels of IgM and IgA against MBT. In addition to systemic anti-tuberculosis therapy, the patient was treated topically with Polyspectran® eye drops, Dexamethasone eye drops, and Bepanthen® ointment, for 2 weeks. Both eyes showed dramatic improvement after 2 weeks.

CONCLUSION

The present report demonstrates that MBT is able to initiate delayed autoimmune response within the corneal tissue during an intensive phase of anti-tuberculosis treatment.