Clinical findings and progression of 10 cases of equine ulcerative keratomycosis (2004–2007)

Abstract

Summary Ulcerative keratomycosis is a serious sight‐threatening disease of horses and the veterinary literature is replete with cases of poor visual outcome following this condition. During a 3 year period, 10 horses were treated for confirmed keratomycosis at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) of the University of Cordoba (Spain). Ulcerative keratomycosis accounted for an average of 8.62% of the total equine ophthalmic admissions during this time and an average of 33.3% of horses were diagnosed with infectious keratitis. Fungi were diagnosed using cytology (n = 4) and/or culture (n = 8) and histopathology (n = 1). Aspergillus sp. was the most commonly isolated fungus. Medical therapy alone or combined medical and surgical treatment was utilised for therapy depending on the clinical condition. Miconazole 1% was the most common topical antifungal therapy employed. Median duration of treatment was 73.12 days. Records were evaluated to determine visual outcome and globe survival.

Conjunctival bacterial and fungal flora in healthy horses in the UK

“…Streptococcus equi ssp zooepidemicus , Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus spp are the most frequently identified bacterial isolates from horses with ulcerative keratitis, although the relative frequency of these isolates varies depending on the study population 1,5,6 . In horses diagnosed with keratomycosis, Aspergillus spp, Fusarium spp and Penicillium spp are the predominate isolates 6–10 . Published reports describing horses with ulcerative keratitis typically include only horses admitted to referral institutions with complicated ulcers, many of which have received antimicrobial treatment prior to admission.…”

Therapy of equine infectious keratitis: A review

“…(Andrew et al 1998;Galan et al 2009;Utter et al 2009). and Penicillium spp., while others may more appropriately be considered primary corneal pathogens (i.e.…”

Ceratomicose em equinos

“…Entretanto, alguns estudos realizados com estes fármacos em animais hígidos e doentes sugerem que fatores adicionais à medicação tópica estão envolvidos no estabelecimento da infecção fúngica . O epitélio corneal intacto é a principal barreira física a infecções oportunistas (BLOMME et al, 1998;GALÁN et al, 2009), embora fungos aparentemente sejam capazes de se aderir a uma superfície corneal íntegra na ausência de um filme lacrimal estável (BROOKS & MATTHEWS, 2007). Mediante injúria corneal ou alterações no filme lacrimal, bactérias e fungos podem não apenas atingir, mas colonizar a córnea e, caso penetrem no estroma, há rápida migração entre as lamelas de colágeno (BROOKS & MATTHEWS, 2007).…”

“…Ceratites fúngicas ulcerativas cursam com blefaroespasmo (SANSOM et al, 2005;GALÁN et al, 2009), epífora, quemose e fotofobia (GALÁN et al, 2009). Várias manifestações clínicas da ceratomicose são descritas e podem ser agrupadas em três categorias: ceratomicoses superficiais (incluindo microerosões, ulceração superficial e formação de placa), ceratomicoses ulcerativas estromais (ceratomalácia e perfuração corneal, seguida ou não de prolapso de íris) e abscessos estromais (ANDREW et al, 1998;GALÁN et al, 2005;CLODE et al, 2011).…”

“…Os sulcos desenvolvem-se em qualquer momento e geralmente ocorrem entre 24 e 48 horas (GALÁN et al, 2009;CLODE et al, 2011). A dissolução corneal ou melting manifesta-se como uma opacidade cinza e gelatinosa, na região periférica ou axial da córnea (BROOKS & MATTHEWS, 2007;CLODE et al, 2011).…”