Abstract
A mixed keratitis due to Acanthamoeba and Hartmannella species is reported. The patient was a soft contact lens wearer. Early diagnosis was achieved by polymerase chain reaction and culture. The pathogenic potential of the isolated amoebae was proven using cytotoxicity assays. The reported case underlines the difficulties in identifying a corneal amoebic infection. In our case, the early diagnosis of a mixed infection allowed a proper antiamoebic treatment in an early stage of infection. This may have been the reason of a successful outcome after therapy.
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Acknowledgment
Dr. Lorenzo-Morales was funded by a postdoctoral contract from the Dirección General de Fomento Industrial y Nuevas Tecnologías del Gobierno de Canarias # IDT-TF-06/055. The research was funded by the project RICET (Project No. RD06/0021/0005) of the Programme of Redes Temáticas de Investigación Cooperativa, FIS, by BIOPOLIS-Interreg IIIB (Canarias-Madeira-Açores) project, and a Dirección General de Universidades e Investigación del Gobierno de Canarias project # PI042005/049. The authors are grateful to Ms. Jarmila Kliesciková for her help with the manuscript.
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Lorenzo-Morales, J., Martínez-Carretero, E., Batista, N. et al. Early diagnosis of amoebic keratitis due to a mixed infection with Acanthamoeba and Hartmannella . Parasitol Res 102, 167–169 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-007-0754-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-007-0754-x