Ocular Rhinosporidiosis with Staphyloma Formation: The First Report in Sri Lanka

Four rare human cases of primary ocular rhinosporidiosis with staphyloma formation in Sri Lanka are described. Cases 1, 3, and 4 were the first reported cases of ocular rhinosporidiosis, with a river contaminated with the causative organism Rhinosporidium seeberi as the probable source of infection. A contaminated lake was the probably source in case 2. Their unusual features included serial rhinosporidial lesions in multiple sites (palpebral and bulbar conjunctivae), with possible extension to the posterior chamber with uveitis and to the retina with the formation of posterior staphylomas in the same eye. In addition, a possible extension of the infection or immunological reaction against the pathogen to the contralateral, nonrhinosporidial eye occurred in three cases, documented by the development of posterior staphylomas and retinal abnormalities. Only one patient had a significantly elevated IgG titre. (J Infect Dis Antimicrob Agents 2007;24:133-41.) *Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital, Kandy, Sri Lanka. **Department of Pathology, General Hospital, Kandy, Sri Lanka. ***Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Received for publication: August 21, 2007. Reprint request: Prof. S. N. Arseculeratne, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. E-mail: [email protected]