Skip to main content
The British Journal of Ophthalmology logoLink to The British Journal of Ophthalmology
. 1984 Nov;68(11):841–845. doi: 10.1136/bjo.68.11.841

Exogenous ocular candidiasis associated with intravenous heroin abuse.

T C Sorrell, C Dunlop, P J Collignon, J A Harding
PMCID: PMC1040483  PMID: 6498140

Abstract

Seven young men developed disseminated candidiasis within 10 days of a single episode of intravenous heroin abuse. Sequential development of eye and skin lesions was noted in all cases. The bone or costal cartilage was involved in five. Ocular manifestations of candidiasis included episcleritis, chorioretinitis, and endophthalmitis. A presumptive diagnosis of candida chorioretinitis was established rapidly by culture of Candida albicans from involved skin and costal cartilage. Systemic therapy with amphotericin B plus 5-fluorocytosine resulted in cure of the episcleritis, chorioretinitis, osteomyelitis, costochondritis, and skin infection. Pars plana vitrectomy with local instillation of amphotericin B was required to cure chorioretinitis associated with vitreal extension of infection.

Full text

PDF
841

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aguilar G. L., Blumenkrantz M. S., Egbert P. R., McCulley J. P. Candida endophthalmitis after intravenous drug abuse. Arch Ophthalmol. 1979 Jan;97(1):96–100. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1979.01020010036008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Axelrod A. J., Peyman G. A., Apple D. J. Toxicity of intravitreal injection of amphotericin B. Am J Ophthalmol. 1973 Oct;76(4):578–583. doi: 10.1016/0002-9394(73)90753-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Billson F. A., Playfair T. J. The place for vitrectomy in posterior segment infection. Aust J Ophthalmol. 1981 Feb;9(1):21–25. doi: 10.1111/j.1442-9071.1981.tb00904.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Collignon P. J., Sorrell T. C. Disseminated candidiasis: evidence of a distinctive syndrome in heroin abusers. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1983 Sep 24;287(6396):861–862. doi: 10.1136/bmj.287.6396.861. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Drouhet E., Dupont B. Laboratory and clinical assessment of ketoconazole in deep-seated mycoses. Am J Med. 1983 Jan 24;74(1B):30–47. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(83)90512-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Edwards J. E., Jr, Foos R. Y., Montgomerie J. Z., Guze L. B. Ocular manifestations of Candida septicemia: review of seventy-six cases of hematogenous Candida endophthalmitis. Medicine (Baltimore) 1974 Jan;53(1):47–75. doi: 10.1097/00005792-197401000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Edwards J. E., Jr, Lehrer R. I., Stiehm E. R., Fischer T. J., Young L. S. Severe candidal infections: clinical perspective, immune defense mechanisms, and current concepts of therapy. Ann Intern Med. 1978 Jul;89(1):91–106. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-89-1-91. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Ho P. C., O'Day D. M. Candida endophthalmitis and infection of costal cartilages. Br J Ophthalmol. 1981 May;65(5):333–334. doi: 10.1136/bjo.65.5.333. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Horne M. J., Taylor R. F., Williams R., Zylstra W. Candida endophthalmitis. Med J Aust. 1975 Feb 8;1(6):170–172. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1975.tb111307.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Perraut L. E., Jr, Perraut L. E., Bleiman B., Lyons J. Successful treatment of Candida albicans endophthalmitis with intravitreal amphotericin B. Arch Ophthalmol. 1981 Sep;99(9):1565–1567. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1981.03930020439006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Snip R. C., Michels R. G. Pars plana vitrectomy in the management of endogenous Candida endophthalmitis. Am J Ophthalmol. 1976 Nov;82(5):699–704. doi: 10.1016/0002-9394(76)90005-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Souri E. N., Green W. R. Intravitreal amphotericin B toxicity. Am J Ophthalmol. 1974 Jul;78(1):77–81. doi: 10.1016/0002-9394(74)90012-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Stern G. A., Fetkenhour C. L., O'Grady R. B. Intravitreal amphotericin B treatment of Candida endophthamitis. Arch Ophthalmol. 1977 Jan;95(1):89–93. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1977.04450010089008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Tarr K. H. Candida endophthalmitis and drug abuse. Aust J Ophthalmol. 1980 Nov;8(4):303–305. doi: 10.1111/j.1442-9071.1980.tb00286.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Tolentino F. I., Foster C. S., Lahav M., Liu L. H., Rabin A. R. Toxicity of intravitreous miconazole. Arch Ophthalmol. 1982 Sep;100(9):1504–1509. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1982.01030040482021. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The British Journal of Ophthalmology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES