J. Peer et al., CONJUNCTIVAL OCULOSPORIDIOSIS IN EAST-AFRICA CAUSED BY RHINOSPORIDIUM-SEEBERI, Archives of pathology and laboratory medicine, 120(9), 1996, pp. 854-858
Citations number
32
Categorie Soggetti
Pathology,"Medical Laboratory Technology","Medicine, Research & Experimental
Background and Objective.-Conjunctival rhinosporidiosis is an infectio
us disease rarely recorded outside the Indian subcontinent. The diseas
e is caused by Rhinosporidium seeberi, an endosporulating microorganis
m of uncertain taxonomic classification. We report a series of cases m
anifesting this infection. Material and Methods.-The demographic, clin
ical, and histopathologic data of 14 cases of conjunctival rhinosporid
iosis on record at our Ophthalmic Pathology Laboratory were reviewed.
Results.-All cases were from East Africa; 10 were from Malawi and 4 fr
om Kenya. Ten specimens were from males and three from females. Their
age ranged from 7 to 20 years. All patients were treated by surgical e
xcision, and no recurrence was recorded. None of the cases was diagnos
ed clinically as rhinosporidiosis. Histologically, all stages of the o
rganism's life cycle could be found in the excised tissue, from small
trophocytes to large sporangia-containing sporoblasts. There were chan
ges in histochemical stainings with growth and maturation. In general,
the inflammation was of chronic nongranulomatous type. Conclusions.-C
onjunctival rhinosporidiosis is a rare infectious disease that typical
ly appears in young males in rural regions, and that can be treated by
surgical excision. It typically causes chronic nongranulomatous infla
mmation. Various stages of the R seeberi life cycle can be seen in the
affected tissue.