Acanthamoeba in the eye, can the parasite hide even more? Latest developments on the disease

JUÁREZ, M.M.; TÁRTARA, L.I.; CID, A.G.; REAL, J.P.; BERMÚDEZ, J.M.; RAJAL, V.B.; PALMA, S.D.

Contact Lens and Anterior Eye

Elsevier

Año: 2017

1367-0484

canthamoeba spp. is a free living protozoan in the environment, but can cause serious diseases. Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), a severe and painful eye infection, must be treated as soon as possible to prevent ulceration of the cornea, loss of visual acuity, and eventually blindness or enucleation. Although the disease affects principally contact lens (CLs) wearers, it is recognized nowadays as a cause of keratitis also in non-CLs wearers. Although the number of infections caused by these amoebae is low, AK is an emerging disease presenting an extended number of cases each year worldwide mostly due to the increasing use of CLs, but also to better diagnostic methods and awareness. There are two principal causes that lead to severe outcomes: misdiagnosis or late diagnosis of the causal agent, and lack of a fully effective therapy due to the existence of a highly resistant cyst stage of Acanthamoeba. Recent studies have reported different genotypes that have not been previously associated