Postmortem findings two weeks after oral treatment for metastatic Candida endophthalmitis with fluconazole

Abstract

The purpose of this histological study was to present postmortem findings in both eyes of a 53-year-old male with liver dysfunction 2 weeks after short-time oral treatment with 200 mg/day fluconazole for metastatic Candida endophthalmitis due to intravenous hyperalimentation for 18 days. Candida had been demonstrated in the venous blood and on the tip of the intravenous catheter. The bilateral fungal endophthalmitis with hypopyon responded well to fungistatic therapy, but the patient suddenly died from heart failure. Both eyes were obtained at autopsy. Candida was demonstrated only in vitreous puff balls but not in the retina or uvea. Fluconazole administered for a short period had little effect in eliminating fungus from vitreous puff balls, which have no blood supply. Prolonged administration of the antifungal drug or vitrectomy should be considered when treating an eye with vitreous puff balls in the presence of fungal endophthalmitis.