title: [Acanthamoeba keratitis: diagnosis to consider].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acanthamoeba keratitis is a rare but severe disease that can cause blindness. The objective of this study is to call attention to its severity and conditions of development and to emphasize the importance of early treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a case of a 27-year-old woman. After wearing soft contact lenses for a month, she consulted for redness, pain and poor visual acuity in her left eye. The ophthalmological examination showed an epithelial corneal abscess measuring 2 mm in diameter in the left eye and very tiny epithelial corneal abscesses in the right eye. Microscopic examination and culture of samples from the contact lenses and the contact lens solution found Acanthamoeba spp. Rapid anti-amoeba treatment led to disappearance of the corneal abscesses and improvement of her vision.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This case confirmed that the prognosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis depends on rapid diagnosis and early treatment.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de parasitologie-mycologie, CHU la Rabta, 15, rue djebel Lakhdhar, 1007 Tunis, Tunisie. anane.sonia@planet.tn
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anane
authors.forename: Narjess
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ben Ayed
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Malek
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nacef
authors.forename: Emira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaouech
authors.forename: Slah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belhadj
authors.forename: Saida
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ayed
authors.forename: Kalthoum
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kallel
authors.forename: Emna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chaker
mesh_terms: D015823:Acanthamoeba Keratitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans