This image depicted two sides of a Petri dish, which had been inoculated with a specimen derived from the left contact lens of a Tennessee Fusarium
keratitis-patient, and had subsequently grown a filamentous colony of Fusarium solani
Species Complex (FSSC Group# 1) fungal organisms. The type of agar medium in the case of this specimen was unknown. While it is not unusual for Fusarium
to cause keratitis, it was the number of affected individuals, which had increased dramatically, predominantly in persons wearing contact lenses, that had warranted this epidemiologic study. The laboratory received cultures which came from two sources: Fusarium spp.
isolated from the eyes of patients with fungal keratitis, and cultures from contact lenses, cases and/or lens solution.