[Effect of corticosteroids in antimycotic therapy of Candida keratitis]

The effect of corticosteroid treatment in addition to antimycotic therapy was studied on the basis of a newly developed keratomycosis model. Forty-eight hours after intracorneal injection of a defined strain of Candida albicans, Amphotericin B drops were administered at one-hour intervals ten times a day. To improve penetration of the drops abrasion of the corneal epithelium was performed every three days. In addition, 4 mg of dexamethasone phosphate was injected subconjunctivally into one eye every two days. The results showed that in this low dosage dexamethasone did not worsen the course of the infection in a single case. On the contrary, there was significantly less neovascularization (p less than 0.05) than in the group not treated with dexamethasone. It therefore appears that combination thereby is the best form of treatment for keratomycosis; this is also supported by clinical observations.