Animal model of Fusarium solani keratitis.

Because of the frequency of fungal keratitis due to Fusarium solani, we needed a sustained, progressive infection in an animal model to determine the mechanisms of pathogenicity and to evaluate the new antifungal agents. Pigmented rabbits interlamellarly injected with actively germinating conidia from lyophilized temperature-tolerant strains of F. solani produced sustained culture-positive ulcers in high percentage of eyes at two and three weeks, pretreatment with subconjunctival corticosteroids was necessary. Histopathology, although a poor index of infectivity since some corneas with plentiful hyphal fragments had negative cultures, simulated human fungal pathology.