Assessing PCR-Positive Acanthamoeba Keratitis-A Retrospective Chart Review

Ophthalmologists' diagnostic and treatment competence in Acanthamoeba keratitis varies widely. This investigator-initiated, retrospective, single-center chart review examined the electronic patient files regarding PCR-positive Acanthamoeba keratitis. We included corneal and contact lens assessm...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Microorganisms (Basel) 2024-06, Vol.12 (6), p.1214
Main Authors: Blaser, Frank, Bajka, Anahita, Grimm, Felix, Metzler, Simone, Herrmann, Didier, Barthelmes, Daniel, Zweifel, Sandrine Anne, Said, Sadiq
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acanthamoeba
Acanthamoeba keratitis
Charts
co-infections
Concurrent infection
contact lens wear
Contact lenses
Cornea
Diagnosis
diagnostic challenge
Fungi
Health aspects
Health services
Infection
Infections
infectious keratitis
Keratitis
Medical research
Medical treatment
Medicine, Experimental
Microorganisms
Microscopy
Neomycin
Ophthalmology
Pathogens
Patient compliance
Patient education
Patients
polymerase chain reaction
Protozoa
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Summary:Ophthalmologists' diagnostic and treatment competence in Acanthamoeba keratitis varies widely. This investigator-initiated, retrospective, single-center chart review examined the electronic patient files regarding PCR-positive Acanthamoeba keratitis. We included corneal and contact lens assessments. We further reviewed the patient's medical history, corneal scraping results regarding viral or fungal co-infections, and the duration from symptom onset to final diagnosis. We identified 59 eyes of 52 patients from February 2010 to February 2023, with 31 of 52 (59.6%) being female patients. The median (IQR, range) patient age was 33 (25.3 to 45.5 [13 to 90]) years, and the mean (SD, range) time to diagnosis after symptom onset was 18 (10.5 to 35 [3 to 70]) days. Overall, 7 of 52 (7.7%) patients displayed a bilateral Acanthamoeba infection, and 48 (92.3%) used contact lenses at symptom onset. Regarding other microbiological co-infections, we found virologic PCR testing in 45 of 52 (86.5%) patients, with 3 (6.7%) positive corneal scrapings. Fungal cultures were performed in 49 of 52 (94.2%) patients, with 5 (10.2%) positive corneal scrapings. The medical treatment success rate was 45/46 (97.8%). This study raises awareness of patient education in contact lens handling and screens for further microbial co-infections in suspected Acanthamoeba cases.
ISSN:2076-2607
2076-2607
DOI:10.3390/microorganisms12061214