Ocular toxicity of experimental intravitreal itraconazole

We investigated itraconazole, a new triazole antifungal agent that poorly penetrates ocular tissues after oral administration. We injected itraconazole in doses from 10 to 100 micrograms dissolved in 100% dimethyl sulfoxide into the eyes of New Zealand rabbits. Ocular toxicity studies performed five weeks after administration showed no substantial retinal or histopathologic changes in eyes injected with either 100% dimethyl sulfoxide or 10 micrograms of itraconazole. Higher doses caused focal areas of retinal necrosis. Our results indicated that intravitreal doses of 10 micrograms or less of itraconazole may be beneficial in the treatment of fungal endophthalmitis.