IMMUNOBIOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF TROPICAL OCULAR DISEASES - TOXOCARA, PYTHIUM-INSIDIOSUM, PSEUDOMONAS (BURKHOLDERIA) PSEUDOMALLEI, MYCOBACTERIUM-CHELONEI AND TOXOPLASMA-GONDII

Of the sera obtained from 18 patients with ocular diseases comprising ocular larva migrans (OLM), Toxoplasma gondii, Mycobacterium chelonei, Pythium insidiosum, bacteria and tumour, 3 sera were positive for Tox ocara antibody at the titre over 1/1600 ELISA. All 3 of these sera cam e from males with unilateral grayish fundi. We demonstrated the value of the direct immunofluorescent assay (DIFA) on vitreous specimens fro m 7 cases of Toxoplasma retinitis. One vitreous specimen under electro nmicroscopic examination revealed bradyzoites of T. gondii. In additio n, a few cases of keratoconjunctivitis/corneal ulcer with endophthalmi tis, due to P. insidiosum, Ps. pseudomallei and Mycobacterium chelonei , were also diagnosed.