Scedosporium apiospermum infectious scleritis following posterior subtenon triamcinolone acetonide injection: a case report and literature review

• Published in: BMC ophthalmology Vol. 18; no. 1; p. 40
• Main Authors: Todokoro, Daisuke, Hoshino, Junki, Yo, Ayaka, Makimura, Koichi, Hirato, Junko, Akiyama, Hideo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 13.02.2018; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Aged; Antifungal Agents - therapeutic use; Care and treatment; Case Report; Combined Modality Therapy; Debridement; Dosage and administration; Eye Infections, Fungal - diagnosis; Eye Infections, Fungal - microbiology; Eye Infections, Fungal - therapy; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents - administration & dosage; Infectious scleritis; Injections, Intraocular; Macular Edema - drug therapy; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Mycoses - diagnosis; Mycoses - microbiology; Mycoses - therapy; Posterior subtenon triamcinolone acetonide injection; Postoperative Complications; Risk factors; Scedosporium - isolation & purification; Scedosporium apiospermum; Scleritis; Scleritis - diagnosis; Scleritis - microbiology; Scleritis - therapy; Tenon Capsule - drug effects; Triamcinolone; Triamcinolone Acetonide - administration & dosage; Voriconazole; Voriconazole - therapeutic use; Scedosporium apiospermum; Posterior subtenon triamcinolone acetonide injection; Infectious scleritis; Voriconazole
• ISSN: 1471-2415; 1471-2415
• DOI: 10.1186/s12886-018-0707-4

Ubiquitous fungi of the Scedosporium apiospermum species complex (SASC) cause various opportunistic infections. Posterior subtenon triamcinolone acetonide (STTA) injection is a standard therapy for intraocular inflammation and macular edema. We report a case of Scedosporium apiospermum infectious scleritis after a posterior STTA injection. A 75-year-old man received a posterior STTA injection to treat macular edema in his left eye. After 3 months, he complained of ocular pain and hyperemia in his left eye. Examination showed a subtenon abscess in the site corresponding with the STTA injection. After incising the abscess, the smear revealed numerous conidia-like structures. Although we suspected fungal infection and started topical voriconazole (VRCZ) and levofloxacin, the inflammation of the eye worsened. Fungal culture revealed filamentous fungus growth. Subsequently, we added systemic VRCZ and performed surgical debridement of the infected sclera and Tenon's capsule. Pathology of the sclera showed fungal hyphae. The antifungal susceptibility test revealed low minimum inhibitory concentrations for micafungin, VRCZ and miconazole (0.06, 0.25 and 0.5 μg/mL, respectively). After 2 months, the ciliary injection subsided and VRCZ therapy was stopped. However, subtenon abscess recurred 1 month after discontinuation of topical VRCZ. Surgical debridement and topical VRCZ were resumed, with the eye finally improving after 5 months of management. The fungal species was identified as Scedosporium apiospermum sensu stricto morphologically and by DNA sequencing. This case was successfully treated by topical and systemic VRCZ and repeated surgical debridement. Infectious scleritis caused by SASC rarely develops after posterior STTA. SASC can produce conidia in the enclosed subtenon space. Late-onset infectious scleritis after a posterior STTA injection suggests the presence of a fungal infection, including SASC, thereby requiring extensive and prolonged medical and surgical treatment.