Subretinal abscesses due to endogenous staphylococcal blood stream infection is a rare occurrence. A young adult male presented with subretinal abscesses, necrotising pneumonia, pleural empyema, skin and soft tissue infection, muscle abscesses and deep vein thrombosis. Aspirate from one of the abscesses and blood culture revealed meticillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus. We present here a case of probable Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL) syndrome. PVL is a cytotoxin produced by S. aureus. Infection with PVL-positive S. aureus produces a clinical disease that is characterised by necrotising pneumonia and disseminated infection that often carries a high mortality. Our patient showed prompt clinical response to cloxacillin that was given for a total duration of 6 weeks. At the end of 6 weeks vision also recovered. The successful outcome in our patient was likely due to early and appropriate antibiotic therapy.
Keywords: Panton–Valentine leucocidin; deep vein thrombosis; disseminated staphylococcal septicaemia; subretinal abscess.