Ophthalmic parasitosis and fungi diseases: cases reported between 1996 and1999 in the Sfax hospital.

Parasitical and fungal ophthalmic infections are polymorphic and variably s evere. They are rarely reported in publications. The aim of our study has b een to specify the parasitic and fungal agents isolated from the ocular sam ples in our district (Sfax - Tunisia). We surveyed retrospectively the diff erent ocular parasitosis and mycosis diagnosed in our laboratory (Sfax hosp ital) over a 4 year-period (1996-1999). Fungal ophthalmic infections were dominated by corneal localisations: 20 ca ses of keratomycosis secondary to: Fusarium solani (8 cases), Aspergillus f umigatus (3 cases); Aspergillus flavus (2 cases); Alternaria sp (2 cases), Candida albicans (2 cases); Fusarium dimerium (I Case); Fusarium oxysporum (I case) and Sce-dosporium sp (1 case). A prolonged treatment by ketoconazo le had a successful resolution-in 70% of Cases; 1 case of ciliar tinea caus ed by Trichophyton violaceum. Parasitic agents were dominated by Demodex fo lliculorum (32 cases), Phthirius inguinalis (6 cases) and Oestrus ovis (2 c ases). Two cases of orbital hydatidosis and 2 cases of palpebral cutaneous leishmania were noted; 21 cases of ocular toxoplasmosis were treated by cli ndamycine. Our survey concerned not only cosmopolite parasitosis and fungi, but also s ome affections endemic to our district (hydatidosis and leishmaniasis) with manifestations in isolated ophthalmic localisation. Our research has under scored the need to specify types of infection by way of adequate sampling s o as to treat early and then improve prognosis.