Seyedeh Zeinab Seyyed-Yousef - Postgraduate Student of Microbiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mehdi Fatahi-Bafghi - Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Seyyed Saeed Eshraghi - Professor, Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Bagher Hoseini - Pathologist, Iran Eye Bank, Tehran, Iran
Shadi Habibnia - Ph.D. Candidate of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Masoumeh Rasouli-Nasab - Ph.D. Candidate of Microbiology, Psteur Insititute, Tehran, Iran
Parvin Heidarieh - Assistant Professor of Microbiology, Department of Bacteriology & Virology, School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran

Background & Aims: Nocardia asteroides is gram-positive, partially acid-fast, aerobic actinomycetes which cause a wide range of skin infections, and pulmonary, cerebral, and ocular infection. Case Presentation: A ۶۰-year-old man with diabetes presented with ocular ulcers in ۲۰۱۵. Through the medical records evaluation, physical examination, and biochemical evaluation of the patient, Nocardia asteroides complex was identified as the cause of infection. The patient was treated with amikacin and ciprofloxacin, and recovery was obtained and the patient was placed on the waiting list for corneal transplantation. Conclusion: Diagnosis of keratitis caused by Nocardia asteroides is difficult and it may be misdiagnosed due similarities with keratitis caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Therefore, suitable diagnosis methods and early diagnosis of ocular nocardiosis are necessary. In the present study, Nocardia asteroides complex was isolated from a corneal ulceration.

Ocular nocardiosis, Nocardia asteroides, Keratitis