CYTOLOGIC DIAGNOSIS OF ACANTHAMOEBA-KERATITIS - REPORT OF A CASE WITH CORRELATIVE STUDY WITH INDIRECT IMMUNOFLUORESCENCE AND SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY

We describe a case of Acanthamoeba keratitis in a 20-year-old woman who wore disposable soft contact lenses. The diagnosis was made initially on the basis of a periodic acid-Schiff-stained corneal smear and subsequently confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and immunofluorescence. The patient was successfully treated with a combination of 0.053% polyhexamethylene biguanide and miconazole. Cytologic study and culture of corneal scrapings is relatively painless and inexpensive and may therefore be used for successful diagnosis and follow-up.