Aspergillus endophthalmitis: Potential role for vitreous galactomannan testing?

Eye damage during invasive aspergillosis is rarely described and biological diagnosis remains challenging. Here we report the case of a heart transplant recipient with ocular aspergillosis complicating disseminated aspergillosis. Although voriconazole was rapidly given, a decrease in visual acuity of the right eye was consistent with endophthalmitis, resulting in an emergency vitrectomy. The diagnosis was rapidly confirmed: laboratory results showed the presence of Aspergillus fumigatus in a vitreous sample. A series of systemic antifungal medications (liposomal amphotericin B, caspofungin, and voriconazole), several liposomal amphotericin B ocular injections, and pars plana vitrectomy resulted in a limited positive clinical outcome. Interestingly although standard mycological follow-up procedures were negative, Aspergillus antigen testing gave an index of 5.92 on vitreous humour, thus a new intraocular injection of liposomal amphotericin B was performed and voriconazole reinitiated. Ten other vitreous samples from patients without fungal infections were also tested, all showing indexes below 0.25. Although larger studies are needed, this case illustrates that galactomannan testing of vitreous humour could be useful for the diagnosis of fungal endophthalmitis if these data are confirmed in other patients, in particular, if standard mycology is negative and PCR is not available.

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