5 CASES OF KERATOMYCOSIS IN THE HORSE IN AUSTRIA

Keratomycosis in the horse is often described in USA and Australia, no t so in the European countries. Five horses with keratomycosis after c orneal ulceration, trauma and superficial punctate keratitis where pre sented to the Clinic for Surgery and Ophthalmology of the Veterinary U niversity of Vienna. In two cases the local therapy with corticosteroi ds seemed to be predisposing, in another case the fungi may have infec ted the cornea because of injury, in the other two cases the genesis w as unknown. In four cases the clinical diagnosis was made days after t he onset of the disease, in the 5(th) case diagnosis was made immediat ely after the onset of the symptoms. Three eyes maintained and two wer e enucleated. There is only a chance for healing, if mycosis is diagno sed early and therapy starts immediatly with the suitable antimycoticu m.