A masquerader? Paecilomyces must be distinguished from Penicillium in fungal keratitis: a report of two contrasting cases

Recalcitrant Paecilomyces keratitis

A 54-year-old Caucasian woman presented with corneal ulcer of the right eye of 4 weeks duration after scratching her cornea while removing her contact lens and artificial eye lashes. Her visual acuity was 20/32 (left eye) and finger counting (right eye). She had a 3x3 mm epithelial defect with underlying corneal oedema and hypopyon. Right eye cultures grew Paecilomyces species. Topical and systemic antifungal agents were initiated. Due to the sight-threatening disease, the patient underwent surgical intervention with intrastromal injection of amphotericin B and a large conjunctival flap covering 75% of the right eye corneal ulcer. After 3 months of therapy, she had near-complete resolution of the corneal ulcer. Unfortunately, recurrence of the corneal ulcer occurred within 3 weeks of cessation of therapy, prompting reinitiation of ophthalmic and systemic antifungal agents. The patient was advised to continue therapy for 6 months with regular follow-up.

Paecilomyces lilacinus Keratitis in a Soft Contact Lens Wearer

We describe a case of keratitis caused by Paecilomyces lilacinus in a contact lens wearer with a history of diabetes.