FUNGAL KERATITIS

Fungal keratitis is a rare disease in Northern Europe. We report the c ase of a 57-year-old female suffering from a paracentral corneal ulcer , following minor corneal trauma with a branch of a tree. Clinically, the ulcer was associated with a ring infiltrate and a hypopyon. Cornea l smears and cultures were negative. As the corneal lesions and the hy popyon progressed despite maximal treatment, penetrating keratoplasty was performed on the asumption of a fungal origin. Histopathologic exa mination revealed pseudohyphae, morphologically compatible with a cand ida species. The clinical picture, its differential diagnosis and the diagnostic methods are discussed.