Fusarium keratitis as a growing problem - case report and literature review. 2021

Mateusz Winiarczyk, and Agnieszka Borkowska, and Jerzy Mackiewicz
Department of Vitreoretinal Surgery, Medical University, Lublin, Poland.

OBJECTIVE With the rising number of contact lens users, there has been observed an increasing number of patients admitted to ophthalmology wards with severe keratitis, including those of fungal etiology. One of the most devastating specimens is Fusarium spp. If not diagnosed and treated from the onset of the symptoms, it can lead to severe visual loss, or even blindness. METHODS This a retrospective case report of a 36-year-old pregnant female diagnosed with Fusarium keratitis, not responding to topical treatment. The problem is discussed and includes the most relevant literature review. RESULTS Primary therapeutic keratoplasty is prone to failure due to an ongoing inflammation process in the eye, as happened in the described patient. Spread of the infection to the vitreous body necessitated the procedure of penetrating keratoplasty with lens removal, pars plana vitrectomy and silicone oil. After treatment, the inflammation resolved, and best corrected visual acuity at the 6 months follow-up was 0.5 (Snellen charts). CONCLUSIONS There is currently no treatment for Fusarium keratitis that would offer similar results to those observed in bacterial infection treated early with antibiotics. As systemic therapy with antifungal agents is not an option in pregnant women, they are even more of a challenge. Diagnosis is quite often delayed, leading to deeper infiltration of the cornea, sometimes with vitreous involvement. For such cases, a combined approach is proposed with vitrectomy, lens removal and penetrating keratoplasty. Early surgical intervention may rescue some of the eyes non-responsive to topical and systemic treatment.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007634 Keratitis Inflammation of the cornea. Keratitides
D011247 Pregnancy The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH. Gestation,Pregnancies
D005260 Female Females
D005670 Fusarium A mitosporic Hypocreales fungal genus, various species of which are important parasitic pathogens of plants and a variety of vertebrates. Teleomorphs include GIBBERELLA. Fusariums
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012189 Retrospective Studies Studies used to test etiologic hypotheses in which inferences about an exposure to putative causal factors are derived from data relating to characteristics of persons under study or to events or experiences in their past. The essential feature is that some of the persons under study have the disease or outcome of interest and their characteristics are compared with those of unaffected persons. Retrospective Study,Studies, Retrospective,Study, Retrospective
D014821 Vitrectomy Removal of the whole or part of the vitreous body in treating endophthalmitis, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, intraocular foreign bodies, and some types of glaucoma. Vitrectomies
D015821 Eye Infections, Fungal Infection by a variety of fungi, usually through four possible mechanisms: superficial infection producing conjunctivitis, keratitis, or lacrimal obstruction; extension of infection from neighboring structures - skin, paranasal sinuses, nasopharynx; direct introduction during surgery or accidental penetrating trauma; or via the blood or lymphatic routes in patients with underlying mycoses. Mycosis, Ocular,Mycotic Infections, Ocular,Ocular Infections, Fungal,Oculomycosis,Fungal Eye Infections,Eye Infection, Fungal,Fungal Eye Infection,Fungal Ocular Infection,Fungal Ocular Infections,Infection, Fungal Eye,Infection, Fungal Ocular,Infection, Ocular Mycotic,Infections, Fungal Eye,Infections, Fungal Ocular,Infections, Ocular Mycotic,Mycoses, Ocular,Mycotic Infection, Ocular,Ocular Infection, Fungal,Ocular Mycoses,Ocular Mycosis,Ocular Mycotic Infection,Ocular Mycotic Infections,Oculomycoses
D016039 Corneal Transplantation Partial or total replacement of the CORNEA from one human or animal to another. Grafting, Corneal,Keratoplasty,Keratoplasty, Lamellar,Transplantation, Corneal,Cornea Transplantation,Transplantation, Cornea,Cornea Transplantations,Corneal Grafting,Corneal Graftings,Corneal Transplantations,Graftings, Corneal,Keratoplasties,Keratoplasties, Lamellar,Lamellar Keratoplasties,Lamellar Keratoplasty,Transplantations, Cornea,Transplantations, Corneal

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