Case of keratitis caused by Aspergillus tamarii

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László Kredics1, János Varga, Sándor Kocsubé

  • 1Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Hungary.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology
|August 19, 2007
PubMed

Insights

A case of Aspergillus tamarii keratitis, a fungal eye infection, was successfully treated. Ocular injury was a key factor, and combination antifungal therapy proved effective against this rare pathogen.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Medical Mycology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Fungal keratitis is a significant cause of visual impairment globally.
  • Aspergillus species are common causes of fungal keratitis, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions.
  • Ocular trauma is a well-established risk factor for microbial keratitis.

Observation:

  • A patient presented with keratitis following an ocular injury.
  • The causative agent was identified as Aspergillus tamarii through morphological and molecular analyses.
  • This represents the first reported case of keratomycosis caused by Aspergillus tamarii.

Findings:

  • Topical natamycin and econazole, followed by oral ketoconazole, were effective in treating the Aspergillus tamarii keratitis.
  • Morphological characteristics and sequence analysis confirmed the isolate as Aspergillus tamarii.
  • Aspergillus tamarii, belonging to Aspergillus section Flavi, has not been previously implicated in human keratomycosis.

Implications:

  • This case expands the spectrum of Aspergillus species known to cause keratomycosis.
  • Highlights the importance of considering less common Aspergillus species in the diagnosis of fungal keratitis.
  • Emphasizes the efficacy of combination antifungal therapy in managing challenging fungal eye infections.

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