[Exogenous keratitis due to chromomycosis (author's transl)].

The author presents a case of exogenous, retrocorneal, limbal infiltration due to chromomycosis, following cataractextraction. Since the etiology of this keratitis was not recognized at the beginning, steroids were applied causing an exacerbation of the keratitis with hypopyoniritis. A perforating, excentric keratoplasty was performed, yielding material for the histological diagnosis, and for the identification of the responsible agent. The cultural and morphological properties were typical of those of a dematiaceous fungus, a chromomycosis. In vitro studies demonstrated this fungus to be less sensitive to 5-fluorcytosin and clotrimazole, and to be less resistant to natamycin, mystatin and amphotericin-B, paving the road for an effective conservative therapy following surgery.