Clostridium Welchii Conjunctivitis

Introduction Ocular infection or contamination by anaerobic organisms and in particularClostridium welchii(Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus aerogenes capsulatus) is rarely reported. This is due in part to the difficulty in growing anaerobic organisms on the media routinely used. Up to 1955 only 56 cases of gas gangrene panophthalmitis had been reported.1Chronic unilateralCl welchii dacryocystitisfollowed by perforating ocular injury and ultimately gas gangrene panophthalmitis was described by Beneditti.2This author also claimed to have isolated several anaerobic organisms includingCl welchiifrom various ocular infections. The same organism may have been responsible for a case of ulcerative keratitis associated with a lid wound.3Cl welchiihas also been found to contaminate the lashes without other evidence of infection.4We have been unable to find a case report of conjunctivitis caused byCl welchiiin either the ophthalmic or bacteriologic literature. The following report deals