A farmer sustains a globe-penetrating injury by a contaminated wooden stick while working in a paddy field. Forty-eight hours later he develops rapidly progressive panophthalmitis with hypopyon and ring abscess. The organism classically responsible for this fulminant post-traumatic endophthalmitis is:
- A Staphylococcus epidermidis
- B Bacillus cereus ✓
- C Streptococcus pneumoniae
- D Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Correct answer: B. Bacillus cereus
Explanation
Bacillus cereus is the classic cause of explosive post-traumatic endophthalmitis following soil-contaminated injuries, producing severe pain, proptosis, hypopyon and ring abscess within 24 to 48 hours due to its necrotising toxins. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus causes indolent post-surgical infection, and its slow tempo is the feature that eliminates it here.
Reference: Kanski's Clinical Ophthalmology, 9th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.