Endogenous Candida endophthalmitis with no apparent predisposing factors

Culture-Proven Candida Albicans Endogenous Endophthalmitis in a Patient with Onychomycosis

Purpose: To report a case of Candida albicans endogenous endophthalmitis in an immunocompetent patient with onychomycosis.Methods: Retrospective case report.Results: A 40-year-old man with onychomycosis presented with C. albicans subretinal abscess in the left eye. Systemic and intravitreal injections did not prevent further progression of the infection. The patient underwent pars plana vitrectomy. One month after surgery, the intraocular inflammation gradually subsided. However, his visual acuity stayed at counting fingers as a result of macular scarring.Conclusion: The aim of this case presentation is to emphasize that endogenous fungal endophthalmitis can be seen in an immunocompetent patient. The use of systemic steroids in the past was the main reason for the progression of the disease in this case. In these situations, when the clinical findings suggest a fungal etiology, it should keep in mind that endogenous candida endophthalmitis can be a result of fungal infections from distant sites such as the toenails and systemic steroids should not be started before definite diagnosis.

Unilateral endogenous Candida endophthalmitis after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for a renal stone in an immunocompetent woman: a case report

Purpose

To report a case of endogenous Candida endophthalmitis that may cause catastrophic sight-threatening outcomes, after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in a healthy woman.

Case presentation

A 32-year-old woman presented to the ophthalmology clinic with the symptom of blurred vision and floater in her right eye. She underwent ESWL for renal stone 1 week prior to her presentation. Fundus examination showed an elevated white lesion in para-fovea with fluffy border. Smear of diagnostic vitreous sampling showed pseudo-hypha and budding yeast. Systemic and immunologic and infectious workups were unremarkable. In our case, response to intravitreal and intravenous injection of amphotericin-B and oral fluconazole was dramatic. Six weeks after starting the treatment, infiltrative lesion completely disappeared. The authors review previous MEDLINE literature about this topic.

Conclusion

Endogenous Candida endophthalmitis following renal stone lithotripsy is a serious and rare intraocular infection that may happen in healthy individuals without any risk factors.

Endogenous Candida endophthalmitis and osteomyelitis associated with CARD9 deficiency

A 25-year-old woman presented with unilateral red eye and visual blur, and was found to have panuveitis with an inflammatory white mass at the macula, initially presumed to be Toxoplasma retinitis. After failure to respond, she underwent vitrectomy, which produced Candida albicans. Despite intraocular and systemic antifungal treatment, she lost all vision in that eye. Two years later, she developed unilateral hip osteomyelitis leading to total hip replacement and also revealing Candida infection. By clinical exome sequencing, she was then found to have caspase recruitment domain 9 (CARD9) deficiency, an autosomal recessive disorder that causes a specific susceptibility to candidal infections. She remains otherwise well but on lifelong fluconazole prophylaxis.

Yeast-like microorganisms in eye infections

The proportion of yeast species involved in eye infections in 11 patients was examined. The presence of yeast organisms as causative agents of endophthalmitis was found in corneal smears (n = 4), conjunctival swabs (4), and vitreous fluid (3). Altogether 5 strains of Candida albicans, 2 strains of C. krusei and one strain each of C. guilliermondii, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis and Cryptococcus neoformans were isolated from the clinical material. The hematogenic origin of endophthalmitis was proved in 7 cases on the basis of positive blood samples and in 2 cases by the isolation of yeasts from the tip of an intravenous catheter. Endophthalmitis-supporting risk factors such as indwelling intravenous catheters, prolonged use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and chemotherapy, surgical intervention, diabetes mellitus, and malignancy were observed in the patients.