Abstract

Study Design – An interventional case report.
Purpose – To describe a case of Nocardia panophthalmitis following date palm injury.
Methods – An interventional case report.
Results – A 50-year-old male presented with left eye swelling, redness & pain following a penetrating injury with a date palm thorn. The left eye was proptosed with eyelid edema and chemosis. There was loss of vision and limited ocular motility. A corneal ulcer with severe thinning, an exudate-filled anterior chamber & vitreous echoes on the USG B scan confirmed panophthalmitis. Evisceration was done. Histopathology revealed a neutrophilic abscess. Acid-fast Nocardia species were grown on the culture. Conclusion – Date palm injury causes suppurative inflammation due to microbes & phenol toxins. Endophthalmitis due to Nocardia is rare yet fulminant. It progressed to panophthalmitis rapidly. Early diagnosis & treatment is recommended in these cases.