Toll-Free 1-888-377-8900

• Car and Traffic Accidents
• Defective Medical Products
• Defective Products
• Dog Bite Injury
• Fires and Explosions
• Foodborne Illness
• Injuries and Accidents
• Medical Malpractice
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Wrongful Death

Fusarium Keratitis

• What is Fusarium Keratitis?
• Fusarium Keratitis and Contact Lens Use
• Symptoms of Fusarium Keratitis
• Treatment of Fusarium Keratitis

We are no longer taking Bausch & Lomb Renu cases.  Thank you for visiting our website.

The following information on Fusarium keratitis is provided as a public service by Pritzker | Ruohonen & Associates, P.A. We are a premier personal injury lawfirm with a national practice and a reputation for success. Contact us for a free consultation by calling toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or by filling out our online consultation form. 

What is Fusarium Keratitis?
Keratitis is a very general term meaning any inflammation of the cornea, the clear, dome-shaped surface that covers the front of the eye.  Fungi can infect (and therefore inflame) the cornea.  Doctors refer to this as “fungal keratitis,” meaning corneal infection caused by fungi.  One type of fungus that can infect the cornea is Fusarium spp.  When Fusarium infects the cornea, the eye disease is referred to as Fusarium keratitis.  Fusarium keratitis is a serious infection of the cornea.

Fusarium Keratitis and Contact Lens Use
Fusarium spp. are commonly found in soil, in water, and on plants throughout the world, particularly in warmer climates (4).  Past studies of Fusarium keratitis have found that most incidences of Fusarium keratitis have been caused by an eye injury with vegetative matter, for example getting hit in the eye with a palm branch (3).  Each year a few people do contract Fusarium keratitis from contact lens wear.  This number is generally very small, particularly in the northern part of the United States.  An estimated 30 million persons in the United States wear soft contact lenses; the annual incidence of microbial keratitis is estimated to be 4 – 21 per 10,000 soft contact lens users, depending on whether users wear lenses overnight (2).

Symptoms of Fusarium Keratitis
According to the American Academy of Ophthamology, the symptoms of Fusarium keratitis include the following:
• Sudden blurry vision
• Unusual redness of the eye
• Pain in your eye
• Excessive tearing and discharge from your eye
• Increased light sensitivity

Treatment of Fusarium Keratitis
First-line treatment includes topical and oral antifungal medications. Patients who do not respond to medical treatment usually require surgical intervention, including corneal transplantation (1). “Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment of fungal infections of the cornea, 15-27% of patients require surgical intervention owing to failure of medical therapy or advanced disease at presentation (1).” In some cases even corneal surgery will not restore vision, and the patient will be permanently blind or otherwise vision impaired. Early diagnosis coupled with appropriate treatment is critical to recovery from Fusarium keratitis. 

Sources:

1. Thomas PA. Fungal infections of the cornea. Eye 2003;17:852-62.
   
2. Poggio EC, Glynn RJ, Schein OD, et al. The incidence of ulcerative keratitis among users of daily-wear and extended-wear soft contact lenses. N Engl J Med 1989;321:779-83.
   
3. Bharathi MJ, Ramakrishnan R, Vasu S, Meenakshi R, Palaniappan R. Epidemiological characteristics and laboratory diagnosis of fungal keratitis. A three-year study. Indian J Ophthalmol 2003;51:315-321.
   
4. Doczi I, Gyetvui T, Kredics L, Nagy E. Involvement of Fusarium spp. in fungal keratitis. Clinical Microbiology & Infection 2004;10: 773-75

Pritzker | Ruohonen & Associates, P.A.
Plaza VII, Suite 2950
45 South Seventh Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402-1652

Telephone: 612-338-0202
Toll-Free: 1-888-377-8900
Fax: 612-338-0104
Email:info@pritzkerlaw.com

Pritzker | Ruohonen & Associates, P.A.: Minnesota personal injury lawyers with a national
reputation for excellence in the areas of personal injury and wrongful death.

Copyright 2007 | All Right Reserved
Disclaimer