Preliminary communication
Painless Acanthamoeba Keratitis in a Soft Contact Lens Wearer – Case Report
Biljana Kuzmanović Elabjer
; Ophthalmology Department, General Hospital »Sveti Duh«, Zagreb, Croatia
Mladen Bušić
; Ophthalmology Department, General Hospital »Sveti Duh«, Zagreb, Croatia
Mario Sviben
; Department of Parasitology, Croatian National Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia
Esmat Elabjer
; University Traumatology Clinic, Zagreb, Croatia
Jurica Predović
; Ophthalmology Department, General Hospital »Sveti Duh«, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Aim of our paper is to present a case of painless Acanthamoeba keratitis in a soft contact lens wearer. A 17-year-old male, highly myopic, prolonged soft contact lens wearer, presented to us with painless red watery right eye having remarkably diminished vision. Last six weeks he was treated elsewhere for the microbial keratitis with no improvement. No pain was reported and on the direct questionnaire about it he denied it. There was marked mixed conjunctival and ciliary injection. A central stromal opacity with a pronounced surrounding corneal ring of inflammatory infiltration and epithelial defect was seen on biomicroscopy of the right eye. Circular pannus was already formed reaching epithelial defect overlying corneal ring infiltrate. Acanthamoeba spp in the corneal sample was confirmed. Prolonged therapy with 0.02% chlorhexidine digluconate solution combined with 0.1% hexamidine solution resulted in corneal healing left with a large central dense stromal opacity with circular pannus reaching peripheral third of the cornea but with very thin blood vessels and the best corrected visual acuity of 0.1 tested on Snellen chart. In conclusion, even in a lack of typical symptom for Acanthamoeba keratitis such as pain, this amoeba should be ruled out especially in a soft contact lens wearer.
Keywords
Acanthamoeba keratitis; corneal disease; contact lens; hydrophilic
Hrčak ID:
41858
URI
Publication date:
10.9.2009.
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