Abstract
Corneal ulcera in patients treated at the University Hospital Cali, Colombia have been attributed to the fungus Fusarium solani, which was isolated from patients' eyes by deep scraping. The fungus, which was characterized by culture and morphology, was found to grow well at 37 degrees C in Sabouraud and potato dextrose agars and in liquid asparagine medium, in which it produced very few spores; at 40 degrees C, it survived for 3 weeks. Different levels of pathogenicity were shown by the fungus when 3-week-old bean, corn, and tomato plants were inoculated. Controlled experiments in which an inoculum of F. solani was instilled in rabbit eyes were also carried out; it evoked a clinical reaction producing irritation and erythema. The F. solani isolated from eyes was the same species as that isolated by an agar plate method with Fusarium-selective medium from sugar cane, bean, tomato, or corn fields throughout December 1976 to November 1977. Nonfarming areas and urban sites were also air sampled, but only a few (less than 1%) colonies of F. solani were isolated at one of four sites. A preliminary attempt to identify the physiologically active substance of the fungus was carried out through chemical extraction, thin-layer chromatography, and ultraviolet and infrared spectra analysis.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Jones B. R., Jones D. B., Lim A. S., Bron A. J., Morgan G., Clayton Y. M. Corneal and intra-ocular infection due to Fusarium solani. Trans Ophthalmol Soc U K. 1970;89:757–779. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- LEY A. P. Experimental fungus infections of the cornea; a preliminary report. Am J Ophthalmol. 1956 Oct;42(4 Pt 2):59–71. doi: 10.1016/0002-9394(56)90356-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Miranda H., Fernandez W., Sanchez V. Queratomicosis. Presentacion de tres casos causados por Fusarium sp. Mycopathol Mycol Appl. 1969 Mar 28;37(2):179–185. doi: 10.1007/BF02051701. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]