Aspergillus terreus endophthalmitis in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia
P. H. Kalina and R. J. Campbell
Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905.
A 65-year-old woman with a 7-year history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia
presented with acute visual loss, pain, and redness in her right eye.
Results of stains and cultures of anterior chamber fluid were negative.
Neurologic problems, bronchopulmonary pneumonia, recurrent skin lesions,
and a low-grade fever developed. Progressive respiratory distress ensued,
and the patient died 1 month after presentation. Cultures from antemortem
sputum and skin samples were positive for Aspergillus terreus. Postmortem
histologic results showed extensive A terreus invasion of the posterior
vitreous, retina, choroid, and anterior optic nerve. This organism was also
found in histologic sections from the right adrenal gland, left kidney,
thyroid, urinary bladder, right lung, skin, esophagus, sputum, vessels of
the myocardium, and brain. To our knowledge, A terreus endophthalmitis has
not been reported previously.
