Acanthamoeba

Acanthamoeba 7

General: Caused by Acanthamoeba polyphaga and Acanthamoeba cartel (see Herpes Simplex Masquerade Syndrome); all types of contact lenses have been associated with acanthamoeba keratitis, particularly daily-wear soft contact lenses.

Ocular: Hypopyon; uveitis; conjunctivitis and chemosis; keratitis; pannus; corneal ring abscess; papillitis; vitreitis; retinal perivasculitis; secondary glaucoma; postkeratoplasty acanthamoeba keratitis may present as an infectious crystalline keratopathy in the periphery of the graft.

Clinical: Meningoencephalitis; meningitis; hemorrhagic encephalitis.

Fraunfelder FT, Roy FH. Current ocular therapy, 5th ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 2000.

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Nagington J, et al. Amoebic infection of the eye. Lancet 1974;2:1537-1540.

Pavan-Langston D. Amoeba. In: Pavan-Langston D, ed. Manual of ocular diagnosis and therapy, 4th ed. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1995:95-96.

Samples JR, et al. Acanthamoeba keratitis possibly acquired from a hot tub. Arch Ophthalmol 1984; 102:707-710.

Watson PG. Amebic infection of the eye. Trans Ophthalmol Soc U K 1975; 95:204-206.

Wilhelmus KR. Parasitic keratitis and conjunctivitis. In: Smolin G, Thoft RA, eds. The cornea, 3rd ed. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1994:262-266.