Keratomycosis--a retrospective histopathologic and microbiologic analysis

In this retrospective study, the results of concurrent histopathologic and microbiologic examinations of 61 corneal buttons were evaluated. These revealed histologic fungus identification in 77.04% of cases compared with culture examination which yielded fungal growth in 75.4% of cases. Mixed fungal and bacterial infection caused difficulty not only in isolation but also in demonstrating fungus in the tissue sections. Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most common isolate in cases of mixed infection. Aspergillus was the most prevalent nondematiaceous fungus. Dematiaceous fungi were isolated in culture in only 10.8% of our cases, and in none of them was the histopathology positive, indicating that they might have been contaminants.