Achaetomium luteum and Exserohilum rostratum, Two Rare Causes of Keratomycosis in China: Case Report

Li-Hua Jiang,* Li Sheng,* Jie Luo, Jin-Cheng Rong Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Qingdao University, Yantai, 264000, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jin-Cheng Rong, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, Yudong Road 20, Zhifu District, Yantai, Shandong, 264000, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: Keratomycosis is a severe sight-threatening infection of the human cornea, accounting for around 50% of infectious keratitis cases both in China and globally. Its dominant fungal pathogens vary according to region and climate. It is caused by various pathogenic species with divergent clinical manifestations. Our knowledge on the phylogenetic data of fungal species for keratomycosis is still limited. Here, we describe two clinical cases of immunocompetent patients involving two rare fungal pathogens that cause fungal keratitis. Of these two pathogens, Achaetomium luteum is a novel pathogen for corneal infections, and another species, Exserohilum rostratum, is a rare cause of fungal keratitis. These two cases may provide more insights into the diagnosis, etiology, and treatment of keratomycosis.Keywords: keratomycosis, etiology, dematiaceous fungi, Achaetomium luteum, Exserohilum rostratum