Acanthamoeba keratitis: A 3-Year Retrospective Study at HUKM (2013-2015).

Introduction: Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), caused by a pathogenic amoeba, is a sight-threatening corneal infection usually affecting contact lens wearers. Increasing numbers of Acanthamoeba keratitis cases are reported globally including Malaysia, along with increased use of soft contact lenses. However the true extent or exact frequency of the disease is not known in Malaysia since it is not a notifiable disease in this country. Objective: This study investigates the prevalence of Acanthamoeba keratitis from 2013-2015 at the Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study involved clinical samples submitted to the Acanthamoeba laboratory at the Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology UKM from the year of 2013-2015. The study only included patients diagnosed as having microbial keratitis with Acanthamoeba as the presumptive causative agent. Records from the request forms for Acanthamoeba isolation and the culture results were analysed. Results: A total of 62 suspected cases had their corneal scrapings sent to the Acanthamoeba laboratory from different hospitals across Malaysia. 14 (22.6%) parasitologically confirmed culture positive cases were identified from the total 62 suspected cases during the period 2013-2015. All the 14 positive cases were contact lens wearers and they all presented with similar symptoms of redness, pain, watery eye and photophobia. All cases came from private hospitals throughout Malaysia. Majority of them (34.6%) were women and men constituted 13.8%. Conclusion: All 14 cases were diagnosed at only one study center and it would be anticipated that the number of cases would increase if there were more study centers involved throughout Malaysia. This study has proven that AK is not extremely rare in Malaysia and it should be considered as part of the differential diagnosis of most cases of presumed microbial keratitis especially those involving contact lens wearers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]