Fungal Keratitis

Fungal keratitis, also known as a corneal ulcer caused by a fungus, is crucially important to accurately diagnose upon initial presentation. Patients may present with varying levels of pain, photophobia, blurred vision, and/or discharge. Common fungal species include aspergillus, fusarium, and candida and may be distinguished and identified based on the presence or absence of satellite lesions, the shape and border of the ulcer, the color and amount of discharge and corneal staining patterns. When inappropriately managed, and sometimes even when appropriately managed, fungal keratitis can become sight-threatening due to severe scarring resulting from body’s inflammatory response to the pathogen. Culture of infectious lesions are considered the gold standard of infectious keratitis, especially when ulcers are unresponsive to aggressive treatment. If mycotic pathogens are suspected, it is always recommended to culture prior to and/or at the start of treatment. Treatment should be aggressive and appropriate based upon the type of infectious keratitis suspected.