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. 2000 Dec;84(12):1420–1422. doi: 10.1136/bjo.84.12.1420

Corynebacterium macginleyi: a conjunctiva specific pathogen

A Joussen 1, G Funke 1, F Joussen 1, G Herbertz 1
PMCID: PMC1723327  PMID: 11090486

Abstract

BACKGROUND—Although non-diphtherial corynebacteria are ubiquitous in nature and commonly colonise the skin and mucous membranes of humans, they rarely account for clinical infection.
METHODS AND RESULTS—10 patients with unilateral conjunctivitis are described in which Corynebacterium macginleyi was isolated. This species has only recently been reported to be exclusively isolated form ocular surfaces. C macginleyi was uniformly susceptible to topical antibiotics commonly used in ophthalmology.
CONCLUSION—Despite the fact that the pathogenicity of C macginleyi is not yet assured, this micro-organism should be recognised as a potential cause of bacterial superinfections. Appropriate antibiotic therapy leads to its elimination and resolution of the conjunctivitis.



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Figure 1  .

Figure 1  

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(A) Corynebacterium macginleyi conjunctivitis—clinical appearance. (B) Corynebacterium macginleyi—microscopic appearance (original magnification ×1000, Gram stain).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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