Coexistence of Fungal Keratitis in Bilateral Sequential Microsporidial Keratitis – A Rare Case Presentation

ABSTRACT

Aim

To report a case of bilateral microsporidiosis with coexisting fungal infection in one eye.

Method

Retrospective interventional case report.

Results

A 61-year-old man with uncontrolled diabetes presented with clinical and microbiological features of non-resolving fungal keratitis in the right eye since 3 months and underwent therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty (TPK) for the same. Fungal filaments along with oval bodies suspicious of microconidia were noted on calcofluor stain. A week following TPK, the patient presented with features of viral keratouveitis in the left eye which on microbiology was confirmed as microsporidiosis. Retrospectively, the right eye microbiology slides were reassessed, which confirmed the coexistence of fungus with microsporidiosis by acid-fast stain and polymerase chain reaction.

Conclusion

Structural resemblance of microconidia with microsporidial spores can be misleading, thus creating a need for awareness regarding the possible coexistence along with a need to suspect microsporidiosis in nonresponding clinically resembling viral keratitis.

KEYWORDS:

• Bilateral keratitis
• fungal keratitis
• infective keratitis
• microconidia
• microsporidiosis

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.