Keratic
Pythiosis in Songklanagarind Hospital
Thawat
Tantisarasari M.D.,*
Pongsak Patchimkul M.D.,*
Somchai Wongbunterng M.D.,*
Watcharin Rangsipanuratn M.Sc.**
* Department of
Ophthalmology,
** Department of Pathology Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkhla
University. Hat-Yal, Songkhla 90112, Thailand.
Abstract Keratic pythiosis has been
recognized as a hazardous condition that almost always causes visual loss. We report two
cases of keratic pythiosis in Songklanagarind Hospital. Both patients are farmers and were
thought to be infected by Pythium zoopores. Thalassemia hemoglobinopthy, an important
prodisposing factor in this infection was found in one case but neither patient had im
paired immune response. A simple and effective method for Pythium insidiosum identification
was accomplished by zoospore induction. Convention treatment has provided the first
successful result in one of these cases.
It
is proposed that, although keratic pythiosis is a serious problem, awareness
of this condition, early diagnosis and immediate surgical treatment may salvage
the eye.
