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A case of radial keratoneuritis in non-Acanthamoeba keratitis

Authors Muto T , Matsumoto Y, Chikuda M

Received 20 July 2012

Accepted for publication 21 August 2012

Published 21 September 2012 Volume 2012:6 Pages 1535—1538

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/OPTH.S36192

Checked for plagiarism Yes

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 3



Tetsuya Mutoh, Yukihiro Matsumoto, Makoto Chikuda

Department of Ophthalmology, Dokkyo Medical University Koshigaya Hospital, Saitama, Japan

Abstract: A case of non-Acanthamoeba keratitis with radial keratoneuritis, which is thought to be pathognomonic for Acanthamoeba keratitis, is reported. A healthy 32-year-old woman with a history of frequent replacement of her contact lenses due to wear was examined at Dokkyo Medical University Koshigaya Hospital (Saitama, Japan) and found to have a slight corneal opacity that was accompanied by radial keratoneuritis. Based on both the patient’s clinical findings and past history, the presence of Acanthamoeba keratitis was highly suspected. However, direct light microscopy of corneal scrapings stained by the Parker ink–potassium hydroxide method only found Acanthamoeba-type material in the specimen collected at her initial visit. In all other specimens collected from the patient, no Acanthamoeba was found either when using the same method or when performing cultures of the surgical debridement of the corneal lesion. In addition, topical antifungal eye drops, systemic antifungal drugs, and surgical debridement were also not effective in this case. Since a precise diagnosis could not be made, the patient was treated with topical 0.1% betamethasone sodium, which ultimately resulted in a dramatic improvement of her corneal inflammation. At 23 days after initiation of topical administration of 0.1% betamethasone sodium, visual acuity was 20/250, with a slight corneal opacity noted at the original site of infection. The outcome of the current case suggests that radial keratoneuritis is not always pathognomonic for Acanthamoeba keratitis.

Keywords: radial keratoneuritis, non-Acanthamoeba keratitis, topical corticosteroid

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