Colletotrichum keratoscleritis Diagnosed by 18S rDNA Sequencing

Abstract

The Colletotrichum, well-known plant pathogens were increasingly reported to cause human ophthalmic infections inworldwide and until now, only one case of Colletotrichum keratitis was reported in our country. Although it is an uncommoncause of keratitis, usually secondary to corneal erosion caused by plant material, but, should be included in the differentialdiagnosis of fungal keratitis. In our Jeju Province, some peoples may be usually exposed to plants during farming. Weintroduce here a case of ophthalmic infections, keratoscleritis due to the Colletotrichum species in an immunocompetent farmerwith underlying diabetes mellitus and hypertension, initially not suspected by SDA and LPCB stain and revealed by PCR and18S rDNA sequencing as the Colletotrichum species.