A case of Acanthamoeba keratitis in The Netherlands

Abstract

A severe kerato-iritis of the right eye of a 36-year-old healthy man constituted a diagnostic and therapeutic problem. More than seven months after the onset of his complaints a cornea transplantation was carried out because a large abscess had developed in the stroma of the cornea and perforation was feared. Amoebae, belonging to the free-living genus Acanthamoeba, were found in the excised corneal disc. Similar infections have been described earlier in the USA, in England and in Germany. The case described here is the first well documented one in the Netherlands. The case history and identification of the amoeba are described. Data from the literature on epidemiology, pathogenicity and treatment are discussed.