Medical treatment for combined Fusarium and Acanthamoeba keratitis

Abstract

Purpose: Acanthamoeba and fungal keratitis are rare ocular infections. We report cases of combined Fusarium and Acanthamoeba keratitis and the clinical course of medical treatment.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of patients treated for culture-proven Acanthamoeba keratitis at a referral centre, during 2001-2006.

Results: Eleven consecutive patients were treated for culture-proven Acanthamoeba keratitis during the 5 years, two of whom had combined fungal infections. A 29-year-old man presented with ground-glass corneal oedema and epitheliopathy caused by contact lens use. The other patient, a 7-year-old girl, had eye trauma that led to a feathery corneal infiltrate. Both cases were treated with topical 0.02% polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB), 0.1% propamidine, 1% clotrimazole and 5% natamycin. Therapeutic keratoplasty was not required in either case.

Conclusions: Timely identification of the pathogen, with repeated culture and smear if necessary, as well as adequate dosage to prevent recurrence is highly recommended in order to preclude the need for therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty.