Loading
Ocular Disorders and Treatments · Journal article
Orbit · August 4, 2026
Early or partial results. Treat as a signal, not a conclusion.
This case report documents Mycobacterium abscessus infection of an anophthalmic socket treated with multidrug antimicrobial therapy and staged oculoplastic surgery, with clinical improvement and prosthesis retention at 15 months of follow-up. The report raises awareness that nontuberculous mycobacteria should be considered in the differential diagnosis of persistent anophthalmic socket inflammation, but provides no comparative evidence or generalizable treatment guidance.
Case report. A 71-year-old woman with right anophthalmic socket previously reconstructed with dermis-fat graft, presenting with progressive prosthesis retention failure and purulent discharge.. Intervention: Prolonged susceptibility-guided multidrug antimicrobial therapy in collaboration with infectious disease team, combined with staged oculoplastic procedures for cicatricial contracture..
Socket swab was acid-fast smear-positive and identified as Mycobacterium abscessus species group Patient presented with progressive inability to retain prosthesis followed by purulent discharge Symptoms improved with prolonged susceptibility-guided multidrug antimicrobial therapy and staged oculoplastic procedures
Safety was not reported in the material analysed. Check the source before drawing any conclusion about harm.
Clinicians managing persistent anophthalmic socket inflammation should include nontuberculous mycobacterial infection in the differential diagnosis, particularly when acid-fast organisms are detected. This case demonstrates that multidrug antimicrobial therapy combined with concurrent oculoplastic surgery can achieve clinical improvement and prosthesis retention.
A single case report describing diagnostic recognition and management of an uncommon infection; no comparative data, control group, or generalizable outcome metrics.
As stated by the source record.
Quoted from the source exactly as published.
Clinicians managing persistent anophthalmic socket inflammation should include nontuberculous mycobacterial infection in the differential diagnosis, particularly when acid-fast organisms are detected. This case demonstrates that multidrug antimicrobial therapy combined with concurrent oculoplastic surgery can achieve clinical improvement and prosthesis retention.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
Nontuberculous mycobacteria may cause indolent postoperative or device-associated infection and can be overlooked in anophthalmic socket inflammation. A 71-year-old woman with a right anophthalmic socket reconstructed with a dermis-fat graft developed progressive inability to retain her prosthesis, followed by purulent discharge. Socket swab was acid-fast smear-positive and subsequently identified as Mycobacterium abscessus species group. Orbital magnetic resonance imaging showed mild curvilinear enhancement along the prosthesis margins without drainable abscess. Management included prolonged susceptibility-guided multidrug antimicrobial therapy in collaboration with the infectious disease team, with staged oculoplastic procedures for concurrent cicatricial contracture. Symptoms improved, a new prosthesis was fitted approximately 3 months after presentation, and the socket remained clinically quiet through approximately 15 months of follow-up. This case highlights atypical mycobacterial infection as a diagnostic consideration in persistent anophthalmic socket inflammation with progressive contracture.
Taken from the source record, never inferred. Follow any of these and new work involving them reaches your briefing.