Acanthamoeba genotype T4 keratitis in a patient with Thygeson’s superficial punctate keratitis

Abstract

A case of amoebic keratitis due to Acanthamoeba genotype T4 is reported. The patient is a 74-year old woman with Thygeson’s superficial punctate keratitis. Corneal scrapings were employed for the diagnosis, which included direct microscopic observation, Giemsa stains, cultures in non-nutrient agar and a PCR that amplifies the DF3 fragment of 18S rDNA. The therapeutic use of contact lenses is proposed as the predisposing factor in this case, considering that the patient has a previous damage of the corneal epithelium. This is the first case of amoebic keratitis reported and confirmed in Costa Rica.