title: Four cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis treated with phototherapeutic keratectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report 4 cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis treated with excimer laser phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) and to discuss the clinical efficacy of this procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four cases with early stage Acanthamoeba keratitis resistant to medical amoebic therapy for at least 1 week and with an enlarged abscess underwent PTK.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After PTK, the infected corneal lesions were removed and the clinical symptoms rapidly resolved in all cases. Another 40-μm ablation was required as a result of the 1-week delay in performing PTK. There was no recurrence during the postoperative period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When lesions are limited to about one third of the superficial corneal stromal layer, PTK could be the most beneficial option for treating Acanthamoeba keratitis, resistant to medical amoebic therapy using chlorhexidine or polyhexamethylene biguanide, because of direct removal of resistant amoebic cysts and better visual recovery without irregular astigmatism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Medical School, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Michiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kandori
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Mikiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimabukuro
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Naoyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tano
mesh_terms: D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015823:Acanthamoeba Keratitis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000601:surgery*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054018:Lasers, Excimer / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents