Comparison of Fluorescence Microscopy and Different Growth Media Culture Methods for Acanthamoeba Keratitis Diagnosis

Avi Peretz Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya, Tiberias, Israel, affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Galilee, Israel; Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; Department of Ophthalmology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; Department of Ophthalmology, Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya, Tiberias, Israel, affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Galilee, Israel

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Yuval Geffen Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya, Tiberias, Israel, affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Galilee, Israel; Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; Department of Ophthalmology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; Department of Ophthalmology, Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya, Tiberias, Israel, affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Galilee, Israel

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Soergiu D. Socea Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya, Tiberias, Israel, affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Galilee, Israel; Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; Department of Ophthalmology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; Department of Ophthalmology, Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya, Tiberias, Israel, affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Galilee, Israel

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Nina Pastukh Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya, Tiberias, Israel, affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Galilee, Israel; Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; Department of Ophthalmology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; Department of Ophthalmology, Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya, Tiberias, Israel, affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Galilee, Israel

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Shmuel Graffi Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya, Tiberias, Israel, affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Galilee, Israel; Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; Department of Ophthalmology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; Department of Ophthalmology, Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya, Tiberias, Israel, affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Galilee, Israel

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.15-0193
Volume/Issue:
Volume 93: Issue 2
Page(s):
316–318
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Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), a potentially blinding infection of the cornea, is caused by a free-living protozoan. Culture and microscopic examination of corneal scraping tissue material is the conventional method for identifying Acanthamoeba. In this article, we compared several methods for AK diagnosis of 32 patients: microscopic examination using fluorescent dye, specific culture on growth media—non-nutrient agar (NNA), culture on liquid growth media—peptone yeast glucose (PYG), and TYI-S-33. AK was found in 14 patients. Thirteen of the specimens were found AK positive by fluorescence microscopic examination, 11 specimens were found AK positive on PYG growth media, and 9 specimens were found AK positive on TYI-S-33 growth media. Only five specimens were found AK positive on NNA growth media. Therefore, we recommend using fluorescence microscopy technique and culture method, especially PYG liquid media.

Author Notes

* Address correspondence to Avi Peretz, Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya, Hanna Senesh 818/2, Tiberias, Israel. E-mail: aperetz@poria.health.gov.il

Authors' addresses: Avi Peretz and Nina Pastukh, Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Poriya Medical Center, Tiberias, Israel, Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya, Tiberias, Israel, affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Galilee, Israel, E-mails: aperetz@poria.health.gov.il and npastukh@poria.health.gov.il. Shmuel Graffi, Department of Ophthalmology, Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya, Tiberias, Israel, affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Galilee, Israel, E-mail: sgraffi@walla.com. Yuval Geffen and Soergiu D. Socea, Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel, E-mails: y_geffen@rambam.health.gov.il and sergiusoc@gmail.com.

Copyright:
© The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2015
Received:
11 Mar 2015
|
Accepted:
07 Apr 2015
|
Published Online:
05 Aug 2015
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
Online ISSN:
1476-1645
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