title: Cytologic diagnosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis. Report of a case with correlative study with indirect immunofluorescence and scanning electron microscopy.
abstract: We describe a case of Acanthamoeba keratitis in a 20-year-old woman who wore disposable soft contact lenses. The diagnosis was made initially on the basis of a periodic acid-Schiff-stained corneal smear and subsequently confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and immunofluorescence. The patient was successfully treated with a combination of 0.053% polyhexamethylene biguanide and miconazole. Cytologic study and culture of corneal scrapings is relatively painless and inexpensive and may therefore be used for successful diagnosis and follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphological Sciences and Legal Medicine, University of Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rivasi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Longanesi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casolari
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Croppo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pierini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zunarelli
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Visvesvara
mesh_terms: D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015823:Acanthamoeba Keratitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001645:Biguanides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003261:Contact Lenses; D003315:Cornea / Q000469:parasitology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D008825:Miconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010503:Periodic Acid-Schiff Reaction
chemical_list: D001645:Biguanides; C031233:polihexanide; D008825:Miconazole