A Fungal Corneal Ulcer Caused by Talaromyces allahabadensis

Abstract

Purpose: Here, we report a case of a fungal corneal ulcer caused by Talaromyces allahabadensis (T. allahabadensis). Case summary: A 69-year-old male was admitted to our hospital with pain and hyperemia in his left eye after 2 months of treatment at a local clinic for herpetic keratitis. The patient had a previous history of trauma to his left eye caused by a persimmon tree branch. He had a peripheral epithelial defect, stromal infiltration, and severe corneal edema in his left eye. Gram staining, a KOH smear, and a culture were performed using corneal specimens; the results were all negative. With the assumption of herpetic keratitis, antiviral and empirical antibiotic treatments were started. After 2 weeks, the stromal infiltrations on his left eye increased, so we again conducted staining and culture studies. T. allahabadensis was isolated from a specimen, so treatment was started using antifungal agents, and a conjunctival flap graft was performed due to the risk of a corneal perforation. Conclusions: A case of corneal ulcer caused by T. allahabadensis in a patient with posttraumatic herpetic keratitis was successfully treated with antifungal agents and conjunctival flap surgery.