This is a retrospective case series on medical records and corneal photographs of 40 eyes of 35 patients with acanthamoeba keratitis (AK, culture positive or with histopathological diagnosis). The mean age of onset was 30 ±15 years (younger in females). The central cornea was involved in 87% of cases. Patients that were diagnosed early (within 30 days of symptom onset) had a better quality of life score. Healing time was also affected by severity and duration of the disease – stage III disease had a significantly longer healing time of 16.2 months compared to stage II (7.04 months) and stage I (7.7 months) disease. To restore visual function, 41% required corneal surgery, with a higher incidence of surgery required with more severe disease. The authors conclude that the ophthalmologist can predict AK treatment duration, healing process and clinical outcomes at the patient’s first visit, particularly with the time of diagnosis from symptom onset and the disease severity. Furthermore, the high rate of patients with late-stage AK suggests a current trend of misdiagnosis. A prompt diagnosis reduces the need for prolonged medical treatment and for surgical procedures, as well as the impact on the patient’s quality of life.
Acanthamoeba keratitis
Reviewed by Kurt Spiteri Cornish
Acanthamoeba Keratitis: Perspectives for patients.
CONTRIBUTOR
Kurt Spiteri Cornish
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK.
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