Antifungal susceptibility for common pathogens of fungal keratitis in Shandong Province, China.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze common pathogens of fungal keratitis and results of antifungal drug sensitivity test in Shandong Province, China and provide guidance for appropriate choice of antifungal drugs in clinic.


METHODS
Retrospective, noncomparative study.


METHODS
The pathogens isolated from 674 fungal keratitis patients between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2006 were cultured and identified in Shandong Eye Institute, of which some common strains were tested for sensitivity to antifungal drugs.


RESULTS
Fungi were positively cultured in 549 (81.5%) patients, in which the dominating pathogen was genus Fusarium (77.6%), with F. solani (37.3%), F. moniliforme (30.0%), and F. oxysporum (27.9%) being common species; Fusarium was mostly sensitive to natamycin, next to amphotericin B, and then to terbinafin. The second common pathogen was genus Aspergillus (10.8%), in which the main species were A. flavus (49.2%) and A. fumigatus (35.6%); Aspergillus was mostly sensitive to natamycin, next to terbinafin, and then to amphotericin B. Relatively, both Fusarium and Aspergillus were insensitive to ketoconazole, miconazole, itraconazole, fluconazole, and fluorocytosine.


CONCLUSIONS
Fusarium is the most common pathogen of fungal keratitis, followed by Aspergillus, in Shandong Province, China. Natamycin is still the first choice in the treatment of hyphomycetic keratitis. Fusarium and Aspergillus are also sensitive to amphotericin B and terbinafin. Early diagnosis and treatments are vital to good prognosis in the treatment of fungal keratitis.
State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Shandong Eye Institute, Qingdao, China. lixinxie@public.qd.sd.cn
Lixin
L
Xie
Hualei
H
Zhai
Jing
J
Zhao
Shiying
S
Sun
Weiyun
W
Shi
Xiaoguang
X
Dong
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D015821:Eye Infections, Fungal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D016533:Mycological Typing Techniques; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000935:Antifungal Agents