Delay in diagnosis and outcome of Acanthamoeba keratitis

Abstract

A diagnostic delay of less than 18 days between onset of symptoms and start of anti-amoebic treatment results in a better final VA after medical treatment and obviates the need for urgent and elective penetrating keratoplasty.

Prognostic Factors Affecting Visual Outcome in Acanthamoeba Keratitis

“…Previous studies have suggested that an earlier time to diagnosis results in more favorable outcomes, [4][5][6]12,13 yet our results suggest symptom duration is not a strong predictor of final visual outcome when compared with corneal disease stage at presentation. Patients presenting with a symptom duration of 3 or more weeks were more likely to have a final visual acuity less than 20/25, but it was not statistically significant in univariate analysis (OR, 2.55; 95% CI, 0.83-7.88).…”

“…Although diagnostic and therapeutic advances have significantly improved overall prognosis, recalcitrant infections and poor outcomes persist in some cases. 1,2 Previous reports suggest worse outcomes are associated primarily with later disease presentation, [3][4][5][6] although the most appropriate measure of late disease and confounding variable effects, such as previous medication use, clinical disease characteristics, and diagnostic modalities, have not been identified. The purpose of this study is to identify prognostic factors for disease outcome and visual morbidity through analysis of a recent AK outbreak in the Chicago area.…”

Acanthamoeba Detection in the Anterior Chamber after Therapeutic Penetrating Keratoplasty

“…probably got Acanthamoeba infection after trauma to the eye and contaminated water exposure. Diagnosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis infection can be made by identifying trophozoites and cysts in corneal scrapings or by cultures of contact lens disinfectants [5].…”

Development of an Immunochromatographic Assay Kit Using Fluorescent Silica Nanoparticles for Rapid Diagnosis of Acanthamoeba Keratitis

“…Therefore, reliable detection of Acanthamoeba is essential for an accurate diagnosis of AK. As delayed diagnosis has been associated with poor visual outcomes (12,13), it is important to identify a method for the rapid and specific diagnosis of AK.…”