PURPOSE To compare the sensitivity and specificity of confocal scan with the results of corneal and/or contact lens case smear and culture in the diagnosis of infectious keratitis. METHODS This was a diagnostic test study. Confocal scan and corneal and/or contact lens case smear and culture were performed in all patients with a clinical diagnosis of infectious keratitis at Labbafinejad Medica...

The pathogenesis and pathophysiology of Acanthamoeba infections remain incompletely understood. Phospholipases are known to cleave phospholipids, suggesting their possible involvement in the host cell plasma membrane disruption leading to host cell penetration and lysis. The aims of the present study were to determine phospholipase activities in Acanthamoeba and to determine their roles in the ...

We developed an immunochromatographic assay kit that uses fluorescent silica nanoparticles bound to anti-Acanthamoeba antibodies (fluorescent immunochromatographic assay [FICGA]) and evaluated its efficacy for the detection of Acanthamoeba and diagnosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK). The sensitivity of the FICGA kit was evaluated using samples of Acanthamoeba trophozoites and cysts diluted to ...

background: free-living amoeba (fla)-related keratitis is a progressive infection of the cornea with poor prognosis. the present study aimed to investigates the con­tact lenses of patients with keratitis for pathogenic free-living amoebae. methods: overall, 62 contact lenses and their paraphernalia of patients with kerati­tis cultured and tested for the presence of free-living amoebae using mor...

DNA sequences of three 18S rRNA gene alleles present in trophozoites obtained before and after therapy for Acanthamoeba keratitis substantiate a previous report that the infection was due to a single Acanthamoeba strain. Thus, the possibility that propamidine resistance which developed during therapy was due to a mixed infection was ruled out.

BACKGROUND Free-living amoebae belonging to the genus Acanthamoeba have an environmental distribution. Amoebic keratitis due to these protozoan parasites continue to rise in Iran and worldwide. In Iran, there are various researches regarding both morphological and molecular identification of Acanthamoeba spp. in environmental and clinical samples. However, there is no thorough review about Acan...

PURPOSE The purpose of the current study was to investigate ex vivo laser confocal microscopic findings of cultured Acanthamoeba trophozoites obtained from Acanthamoeba keratitis patients. METHODS Eight cultured samples of Acanthamoeba trophozoites from eight eyes of seven patients (mean age, 26.9 years; age range, 18-52 years) were used. Seven samples were from corneal scrapings of Acanthamo...

PURPOSE To determine the influence of risk factors, climate, and geographical variation on the microbial keratitis in South India. METHODS A retrospective analysis of all clinically diagnosed infective keratitis presenting between September 1999 and August 2002 was performed. A standardised form was filled out for each patient, documenting sociodemographic features and information pertaining ...

purpose: to investigate confocal scan features of corneal subbasal nerve plexus and epithelial dendritic cells in herpes simplex keratitis (hsk) as compared to acanthamoeba keratitis (ak). methods: confocal scan records of patients with clinical and confocal microscopic features compatible with hsk and ak as well as confocal scan records of normal participants were reviewed. the density and mor...