Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ocular infections with dematiaceous fungi in two cats and a dog.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1998
- Authors:
- Bernays, M E & Peiffer, R L
- Affiliation:
- Kessels Road Veterinary Hospital · Australia
Plain-English summary
In this study, researchers found pigmented fungi in the eyes of two cats and one dog. The first cat had severe eye inflammation that didn't get better with treatment, leading to its euthanasia. The second cat had a serious eye condition called glaucoma that also didn't respond to treatment, and during surgery to remove the eye, a mass containing plant material and fungal elements was discovered. The dog had a corneal scratch that wasn't healing after two weeks, and when the affected area was surgically removed, it also showed signs of fungal infection. These types of eye infections caused by pigmented fungi are rare in pets, and this is the first time such cases have been reported in animals.
Abstract
Pigmented fungi were identified in ocular tissues from 2 cats and 1 dog. The first cat was euthanatized because of acute anterior uveitis that was unresponsive to treatment. On histologic examination, intraocular structures had been obliterated and replaced by a gray coagulum of inflammatory infiltrates and fungal elements. The second cat was treated for unilateral glaucoma that was unresponsive to treatment. A large retrobulbar mass, discovered and removed during an enucleation procedure, contained plant-origin foreign material. Keratitis, episcleritis, and orbital cellulitis with fungal elements were found on examination of the enucleated globe. The dog, examined because of a presumed corneal scratch of 2 weeks' duration that was unresponsive to treatment, had a corneal lesion subsequently removed by lamellar keratectomy that contained fungi on histologic examination. Infections caused by dematiaceous fungi are not common in domestic animals, and, to our knowledge, such infections in the eye have not been described.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9713533/