Keratomycosis in a percheron cross horse caused byCladorrhinum bulbillosum

Abstract

This report describes an infection of a horse's cornea caused by Cladorrhinum bulbillosum. Minor surgery and treatment with antibiotics successfully resolved the infection. The only previous reported case involving this fungus was an Argentinian boy who was infected while working with horses.

Immune‐mediated keratitis in horses: 19 cases (1998–2004)

“…Ulcerative (i.e. with loss of corneal epithelium) keratitis is commonly caused by trauma, and delayed healing of corneal lesions is frequently associated with development of secondary infections 1,5,7,8,10–13 . Nonulcerative keratopathies in horses are characterized as chronic corneal lesions with cellular infiltrate, vascularization, and variable degrees of ocular discomfort 2,3,5,6,9,14–18 .…”

“…with loss of corneal epithelium) keratitis is commonly caused by trauma, and delayed healing of corneal lesions is frequently associated with development of secondary infections. 1,5,7,8,[10][11][12][13] Nonulcerative keratopathies in horses are characterized as chronic corneal lesions with cellular infiltrate, vascularization, and variable degrees of ocular discomfort. 2,3,5,6,9,[14][15][16][17][18] Causes of nonulcerative keratitis in the horse include onchocerciasis, 19,20 bacterial infections, 1 fungal infections, 7,8,[10][11][12][13][21][22][23] infiltrative neoplasia, 24,25 corneal degeneration 9 and immune-mediated inflammation.…”

“…1,5,7,8,[10][11][12][13] Nonulcerative keratopathies in horses are characterized as chronic corneal lesions with cellular infiltrate, vascularization, and variable degrees of ocular discomfort. 2,3,5,6,9,[14][15][16][17][18] Causes of nonulcerative keratitis in the horse include onchocerciasis, 19,20 bacterial infections, 1 fungal infections, 7,8,[10][11][12][13][21][22][23] infiltrative neoplasia, 24,25 corneal degeneration 9 and immune-mediated inflammation. 3,9,15,16,26 Stromal abscess, 2,5,27 which may be associated with penetrating trauma and deposition of organisms or foreign material, and keratouveitis 3,[16][17][18] are interstitial keratopathies that are well described in the literature and are characterized clinically as yellow to white corneal lesions that are associated with severe secondary uveitis and ocular discomfort.…”

Severe pigmented keratitis caused by Cladorrhinum bulbillosum

“…Out of those 29 genera, only 2 are found to be pathogenic to human, namely Cladorrhinum and Arnium. [5][6][7] In the genus Cladorrhinum, C. bulbillosum is the only reported pathogenic species causing keratitis with only two reported cases so far. The first case of keratomycosis by Cladorrhinum spp.…”

“…was reported in a 12-year-old Argentinean boy who was working with horses in 1979 (strain CBS 604.75) [7] and the second case was reported in a Percheron cross horse in 1997. [5] The earlier case was later described as the new species C. bulbillosum by Mouchacca and Gams. [8] Cladorrhinum species were mainly distinguished on the basis of their ability to produce microsclerotia, the conidial shape, and more importantly the tufted aggregation of the conidiophores.…”