ENDOGENOUS ENDOPHTHALMITIS DUE TO FUSARIUM - CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW

Endogenous fungal endophthalmitis is being increasingly recognized in susceptible individuals. We report a case of endogenous endophthalmitis due to Fusarium solani that occurred as the sole clinical manifestation of fungal disease in an immunocompromised host. Four previously reported cases of endogenous fusarial endophthalmitis are also reviewed. Two of these patients had no underlying disease and presented with isolated endophthalmitis, while two other patients had acute leukemia and presented with multiple organ involvement due to Fusarium. All three patients with leukemia, including our patient, were severely neutropenic at the time of diagnosis. Two of these three patients had fungemia. MICs of amphotericin B for fungal isolates ranged from 0.14 to 10 mug/mL. Despite abatement of the endophthalmitis after antifungal therapy and vitrectomy, the prognosis for immunocompromised patients remains guarded because of underlying disease.