LIMITATIONS IN TANDEM SCANNING CONFOCAL MICROSCOPY AS A DIAGNOSTIC-TOOL FOR MICROBIAL KERATITIS

One potential application of tandem scanning confocal microscopy is th e detection of in vivo pathogens. Our study of an experimental model o f Acanthamoeba keratitis demonstrates that while this technology can s uccessfully detect certain organisms, there are currently limitations. These limitations relate to instrument configuration, movement of eit her the tissue or the microscope, difficulty in reproducibly returning to the area of interest for serial examination, the lack of a distinc tive morphology of some pathogens, and limited resolution of the micro scope.