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Diabetic patients have a significantly higher number of positive conjunctival cultures. The presence of diabetic retinopathy was correlated with an increase in positive cultures and a higher proportion of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus.

BackgroundThe purpose of this paper is to describe clinical characteristics and determine correlations between clinical outcomes and antifungal susceptibility among molecularly characterized ocular Fusarium isolates in Brazil.MethodsForty-one Fusarium isolates obtained from 41 eyes of 41 patients were retrieved from the ophthalmic microbiology laboratory at São Paulo Federal University and grown in pure culture. These isolates were genotyped and antifungal susceptibilities determined for each isolate using a broth microdilution method. The corresponding medical records were reviewed to determine clinical outcomes.ResultsThe 41 isolates were genotypically classified as Fusarium solani species complex (36 isolates, 88%), Fusarium oxysporum species complex (two isolates, 5%), Fusarium dimerum species complex (one isolate, 2%) and two isolates that did not group into any of the species complexes. Final best corrected visual acuity varied from 20/20 to light perception and was on average 20/800 (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (LogMAR) 1.6). A history of trauma was the most common risk factor, being present in 21 patients (51%). Therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty was necessary in 22 patients (54%). Amphotericin B had the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration for 90% of isolates (MIC90) value (2 μg/mL) and voriconazole had the highest (16 μg/mL). There was an association between a higher natamycin MIC and need for therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty (Mann–Whitney test, P < 0.005).ConclusionTrauma was the main risk factor, and therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty was necessary in 54% of patients. Amphotericin B had the lowest MIC90 (2 μg/mL) of the three antifungal agents tested. There was an association between higher natamycin MIC levels and corneal perforation, emphasizing the need for antifungal susceptibility testing and tailoring of antifungal strategies.

Most optical aberrations stabilized within the first week after beginning orthokeratology with BE lens. There was not a statistically significant reduction in contrast sensitivity 1 year after treatment.

With the use of these methods, bacterial detection was improved from 47.6% to 95.3%, demonstrating them to be sensitive, rapid tests for diagnosis of bacterial endophthalmitis.