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OCULAR HISTOPLASMOSIS
Author(s) -
Hendrick D. J.,
Thomson G. G. B.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1971.tb50636.x
Subject(s) - histoplasmosis , chorioretinitis , medicine , amphotericin b , dermatology , complication , visual acuity , histoplasma , pathology , ophthalmology , surgery , histoplasma capsulatum , antifungal
Ocular histoplasmosis is reported for the first time in Australia. The patient was a visiting American, who had contracted the primary infection outside Australia. It is postulated that further exposure to Histoplasma capsulatum in New South Wales was responsible for an acute hæmorrhagic inflammatory reaction in the region of his right macula. He was treated with adrenocorticosteroids and amphotericin B. The inflammation subsided, but no improvement in visual acuity occurred. Histoplasmosis may produce a variety of lesions in the eye. Disseminated peripheral lesions resembling tubercles and a circumpapillary chorioretinitis are early and characteristic manifestations. Ocular symptoms are uncommon at this stage. Later, an acute non‐specific inflammatory reaction may occur in the region of the macula. This is possibly induced immunologically. Marked loss of visual acuity is common and may become bilateral. Prevention of this complication has proved a difficult problem. It is suggested that, with continued immigration and increasing awareness that histoplasmosis occurs naturally in Australia, further cases may be recognized. The routine use of the histoplasmin skin test is recommended in the investigation of chorioretinitis.