Eye infections on the rise due to endophtalmitis caused by fungal phytopathogen affecting plants

Eye infections

Eye protection in everyday life is paramount, as new research revealed that a fungal phytopathogen may cause serious eye infections in humans

Protecting our eyes in any situation deemed “at risk” is key for safeguarding our eye care.

Wearing eye protective devices is a precaution to be adopted in every simple daily activity, not just when practising sports or being in the sun.

Examples of such activities are gardening and carpentry.

According to an article published in Ophthalmology Times, a Greek study has recently discovered that a fungal phytopathogen usually associated with plants may also have consequences on human health.

According to co-authors Panagiotis Toumasis, MD, and Georgia Vrioni, MD, both affiliated with the Department of Microbiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Macrophomina phaseolina is a rare but emerging cause of human infections. While it affects over 500 vegetable species, its prevalence in humans is extremely low.

The study analysed the case of a 78-year-old man who presented with photophobia and intense pain in his right eye, which was resistant to oral analgesics.

The initial diagnosis reported a superficial corneal lesion from three months earlier due to a trauma that occurred while using a metal burr during agricultural work. Afterwards, the patient underwent conjunctival flap surgery for a corneal ulcer that did not heal.

The patient’s general presentation led researchers to suspect the presence of endophthalmitis, which is characterised by oedema, redness, conjunctival congestion, hyperaemia, corneal melting, low-amplitude mobile echoes, vitreous membranes, and thickening of the retina and choroid.

The analysis of corneal scrapings and vitreous humour samples ultimately identified a fungal infection.

Even though several treatments were administered, the eye had to be eventually enucleated to prevent the infection from spreading, alleviate the pain and reduce the risk of systemic involvement.

A review of existing literature on the subject identified a total of 13 cases (including the current case study) distributed across Canada, India, the United States and Greece. Recorded symptoms included eye infections (76.9%), skin infections (15.4%) and skin/joint combined infections (7.7%).

In commenting on their findings, the researchers said, “This case report of endophthalmitis highlights the pathogen’s potential to cause severe ocular infections with devastating outcomes, even despite aggressive treatment. The systematic review of previously reported human infections emphasises the diverse clinical presentations, ranging from superficial skin infections to more invasive conditions like the one we described. However, M. phaseolina appears to be a fungal phytopathogen with a predilection for ocular infections in humans. Timely diagnosis remains a challenge due to its rarity in clinical settings and the absence of standardised treatment guidelines. However, early identification and appropriate antifungal therapy are critical for favourable outcomes.”

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