Clinical Presentation and Diagnosis of Fungal Eye Infections
Key Clinical Features and Diagnostic Approaches
- The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Infectious Diseases Society of America recommend that patients with candidemia undergo dilated retinal examination within the first week of antifungal therapy, regardless of visual symptoms, as up to 16% of candidemic patients develop ocular involvement, often without initial symptoms 4, 5
- The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases suggests that inflammation limited to the choroid and retina without vitreous involvement, known as chorioretinitis, may be asymptomatic or cause minimal visual disturbance initially, and can be detected only through dilated retinal examination before symptoms develop 1, 2, 3
- The Infectious Diseases Society of America recommends that examination should be performed by an ophthalmologist when possible to ensure adequate visualization and documentation, and that liposomal amphotericin B with or without flucytosine provides effective alternative therapy for fluconazole-resistant or fluconazole-intolerant patients 4, 6