[Amebic keratitis: clinico-histopathologic case report].

The present paper describes a case of amebic keratitis in a 63-year-old female patient, who had been wearing hard contact lenses to correct myopia. The clinical course was characterized by early superficial corneal infiltrates accompanied by a marked iritis and excruciating pain. Later a ring abscess developed, combined with a disciform infiltration of the deep central stroma and a recalcitrant superficial corneal ulcer. The disease ran a very chronic course over more than 3 months. After various conservative treatments including topical steroids, antibiotics, antimycotic, and antiviral drugs, a penetrating keratoplasty had to be performed. The histopathologic examination of the corneal button revealed many encysted amebas and a few trophozoites which were classified by direct immunofluorescence as belonging to the genus Acanthamoeba (Hartmannella). Six months after keratoplasty the eye was quit without any signs of recurrence. As far as the authors know, this is the first reported case of an amebic keratitis associated with contact lenses.