Hyphae Eye Infection

Among the most serious of eye infections are those caused by the hyphae fungus. Patients with this condition usually require extensive long-term treatment to ensure permanent damage does not result. Proper care of contact lens usage is one step in prevention of this problem. Individuals also should exercise caution and utilize eye protection when working excessively with any plant, especially outdoors.

Hyphae

• Hyphae is a common fungus. While it often is seen in the form of lawn mushrooms, it more often never matures to that stage. Thus, this fungus is more widespread than most people realize. Hyphae spreads easily and is not restricted to a particular environment. Aside from growing on plants, it can spread through objects and live on animals.

Cornea

• One place where hyphae can survive is the human eye. It can spread through the cornea and often is discovered in deep layers of the eye. The hyphae cells cause inflammation in the eye, and lesions usually develop. Diagnosis involves close study of fragments removed from the cornea to determine if fungus is present. Often, hyphae are not discovered on the surface of the eye, so deeper layers must be examined.

Cause

• As hyphae are common throughout nature, one cause of a hyphae eye infection is an unnatural exposure to plant biology. Punctures to the eye by any part of a plant may release the fungus. However, the eyes can become susceptible to hyphae independent of this sort of trauma. Surgery on the eye or even long-term contact lens use can strengthen the conditions necessary for hyphae to live.

Strains

• The seriousness of a hyphae eye infection depends on the strain of fungus responsible for the condition. Some strains do not penetrate deeply into the eye and live only on the surface of the cornea. Other strains can pass much deeper, with the average infected distance at nearly 25 percent through the cornea in this variety of the condition. Many cases infect further than this.

Treatment

• Medication and surgery often are combined to resolve a hyphae eye infection. Amphotericin B frequently is used as a first step in curing the condition. However, some fungal strains show resistance to medication. Additional concerns relate to the side effects of excessive toxicity of antifungal pharmacology in the eye. Studies are ongoing for alternative methods at reversing fungal growth in the eye.