Aspergillus fumigatus keratitis after laser in situ keratomileusis

Abstract

Purpose: To report a case of Aspergillus fumigatus keratitis after a laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) enhancement procedure.

Method: Case report.

Results: A 56-year-old woman developed an ulcer in the flap 13 days after LASIK enhancement. A 4-week course of fortified antibiotics for a presumed bacterial infection followed. The ulcer progressed, causing 60% thinning of the corneal stroma. A biopsy was performed 5 weeks after onset of symptoms, and antifungal agents were initiated. Cultures showed A. fumigatus. Her cornea perforated after the biopsy, requiring cyanoacrylate and lamellar overlay sutures, but the infiltrate resolved on antifungal agents.

Conclusion: This report is the first description of Aspergillus keratitis after LASIK. We hypothesize that the infection became established on the stromal bed during surgery and led to melting, anteriorly through the flap and posteriorly through the stroma. Diagnosis was made by a corneal biopsy and inoculation of a wide array of media. This case demonstrates the need to consider atypical organisms, including fungi, in the differential diagnosis of post-LASIK infections when there is no response to therapy and highlights the role of corneal biopsy and flap lifting in the diagnosis of this condition.