Use of collagen shields containing amphotericin B in the treatment of experimental Candida albicans-induced keratomycosis in rabbits.

We evaluated the effect of collagen shields presoaked with amphotericin B on the treatment of experimental Candida albicans-induced keratitis. Treatment results were compared to those of amphotericin B eyedrops instilled hourly. Forty-eight albino rabbits received intrastromal injections of 10(8) C. albicans organisms. Twenty-four hours later, eyes were treated for eight hours each day with hourly instillation of 0.15% amphotericin B drops, hourly instillation of saline drops, or application of a collagen shield presoaked in 0.5% amphotericin B for one hour. The rabbits were killed after one, three, or five days of treatment. Quantitation of fungi in the cornea was achieved by culturing homogenates and counting colony-forming units. Treatment with amphotericin B applied either as hourly instilled drops or absorbed in collagen shields significantly (P less than .05) reduced corneal fungal counts at all time points when compared to saline-treated control eyes. Rabbit eyes treated with amphotericin B-soaked collagen shields had significantly lower fungal counts compared with hourly instilled amphotericin B drops at Days 1 (P = .02) and 3 (P = .04), but not at Day 5. The collagen shields were as effective in reducing the number of colony-forming units as were amphotericin B drops at Day 5. These data suggest that collagen shields soaked in amphotericin B could be a useful and convenient treatment device in keratomycosis such as that caused by C. albicans.