ABSCESSO ESTROMAL EM CÓRNEA DE CÃO: Relato de caso

Abstract

The eye represents an important sense organ responsible for vision. Composed of many structures, the cornea is the most external and is subject to many conditions, some common in clinical routine and others rare or little described in the scientific literature. Stromal abscess is an uncommon condition in dogs in which a microperforation allows the entry and diffusion of microorganisms, affecting the stromal portion of the cornea. Thus, the objective of this report is to describe the case of an abscess in the deep stroma in the cornea of a Shih-tzu dog. On ophthalmological examination, the left eye showed an opaque, yellowish-white structure, protruding in the central-lateral region of the cornea, hyperemia and congestion of the bulbar and palpebral conjunctiva, blepharospasm, chemosis, and the presence of moderate amount of mucous secretion. The diagnosis was abscess in corneal stroma associated with reflex uveitis and the recommended treatment was surgical lamellar keratectomy followed by overlapping pedicled conjunctival graft. 70 days after surgery, the patient no longer had the clinical signs of inflammation observed before. A scarring leucoma with few blood vessels remained at the graft site. The treatment proved to be effective in resolving the stromal abscess and maintaining the patient's vision. Despite the persistence of an opacity located in the cornea (leukoma), this causes a slight impairment of vision, since its position is lateralized in the medulla, not interfering with central vision, which is more important for predatory animals than peripheral vision.