Rose Bengal Photodynamic Antimicrobial Therapy: A Novel Treatment for Resistant Fusarium Keratitis

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of rose bengal PDAT for the management of a patient with multidrug-resistant Fusarium keratoplasticum keratitis unresponsive to standard clinical treatment. Methods: This case report presents a clinical case of F. keratoplasticum keratitis not responsive to standard medical care. In vitro studies from patients culture isolated responded to rose bengal PDAT. Patient received two treatments with rose bengal 0.1% and exposure to green light with a total energy of 2.7 J/cm(2). Results: In vitro results demonstrated the efficacy of rose bengal PDAT a multidrug-resistant F. keratoplasticum species. There was complete fungal inhibition in our irradiation zone on the agar plates. In the clinical case, the patient was successfully treated with 2 sessions of rose bengal PDAT, and at 8-month follow-up, there was neither recurrence of infection nor adverse effects to report. Conclusions: Rose bengal PDAT is a novel treatment that may be considered in cases of aggressive infectious keratitis. Further studies are needed to understand the mechanisms of PDAT in vivo.