Conjunctival mycoflora in patients presenting to eye ward of Imam Khomeini hospital, Ahvaz

ABSTRACT

To investigate the incidence of fungal mycoflora of conjunctiva in patients attending teaching department of ophthalmology, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran. One hundred and seventy two swabs were collected from the conjunctiva of patients attending to eye ward of the hospital during autumn 2007 to summer 2008. Swabs were cultured on Sabouraud's Dextrose Agar and incubated at ambient temperature for one week. Eleven patients were positive for saprophytic fungi. The most common saprophytic fungus was Cladopsporium [four cases]. Other filamentous fungi were Drechslera [one case], Alternaria [one case], Fusarium [one case] and Epicoccum [one case]. In addition, three isolates of yeasts include Cryptococcus, Candida albicans and Rhodotorula rubra were also isolated from patients. There was a remarkable presence of fungi in the conjunctiva of patients. The environmental conditions, the socioeconomic status and personal poor hygienic conditions, led to the high incidence of conjunctival fungus isolation [6.4%]. The incidence was much higher in males [72.7%] as [27.3%] in females