ACANTHAMOEBA-KERATITIS IN THE SOUTH OF SWEDEN

Eight patients with Acanthamoeba keratitis were diagnosed and treated at our clinic between February 1991 and February 1993. Five of these w ere contact lens wearers, two had suffered recent corneal trauma and o ne had recently undergone penetrating keratoplasty. The diagnoses were based on both culture and histological examination of biopsy material in three cases, on culture alone in two cases and on histological exa mination alone in three cases. In all but one primary treatment was Pr opamidine isethionate and Neomycin/Polymyxin B topically and Ketoconaz ole orally. Because of poor healing three patients additionally receiv ed Paromomycin and Miconazole or Clotrimazol topically; two of these m ere further treated with Polyhexamethylene biguanide topically. The in terval from initial symptoms to accurate diagnoses varied from one to eleven months. In one patient the eye could not be saved; in the remai ning patients visual acuity after healing ranged from hand movements t o 1.0.