The number of fungal infections has increased dramatically, and those
involving the eye pose a serious problem and treatment challenge to pr
acticing physicians. Despite the overall effectiveness of conventional
treatment with amphotericin B, there are several well-recognized disa
dvantages associated with this drug. The topical agent natamycin, alth
ough effective against the filamentous fungi, is less effective agains
t Candida species. Ketoconazole, an effective broad-spectrum, oral ant
ifungal, possesses a better safety profile than amphotericin B, but is
also associated with potential toxicity and drug interactions. The on
going search for improved antifungal compounds led to the development
of fluconazole. This review article focuses on fluconazole in the trea
tment of patients with fungal infections of the eye. In addition to it
s proven effectiveness and safety in patients with various mycoses, th
e pharmacokinetic profile of fluconazole confers many advantages inclu
ding diffusion into ocular tissue. A number of reported cases document
the effectiveness of this triazole in human ocularmycoses without the
occurrence of significant side effects.