Fungal corneal ulcers are an uncommon, yet challenging, cause of vision loss. In the United States, geographic location appears to dictate not only the incidence of fungal ulcers, but also the fungal genera most encountered. These patterns of infection can be linked to environmental factors and individual characteristics of fungal organisms. Successful management of fungal ulcers is dependent on an early diagnosis. New diagnostic modalities like confocal microscopy and polymerase chain reaction are being increasingly used to detect and identify infectious organisms. Several novel therapies, including crosslinking and light therapy, are currently being tested as alternatives to conventional antifungal medications. We explore the biology of Candida, Fusarium, and Aspergillus, the three most common genera of fungi causing corneal ulcers in the United States and discuss current treatment regimens for the management of fungal keratitis.

真菌性角膜溃疡是一种罕见但具有挑战性的视力丧失原因。在美国，地理位置似乎不仅决定了真菌性溃疡的发生率，而且决定了最常遇到的真菌属。这些感染模式可能与环境因素和真菌生物体的个体特征有关。真菌性溃疡的成功治疗取决于早期诊断。新的诊断方式，如共聚焦显微镜和聚合酶链反应，正越来越多地用于检测和识别传染性生物体。目前正在测试几种新疗法，包括交联和光疗法，作为传统抗真菌药物的替代品。我们探索念珠菌的生物学，镰刀菌和曲霉菌是在美国引起角膜溃疡的三种最常见的真菌属，并讨论了目前治疗真菌性角膜炎的治疗方案。