Management of contact lens associated Acanthamoeba keratitis

Four patients with contact lens associated Acanthamoeba keratitis were treated at Wills Eye Hospital between 1987 and 1989. Two patients had used daily wear soft contact lenses and two had worn hard contact lenses. All four patients were treated with topical antibiotics (propamidine and neomycin), oral ketoconazole, and varying amounts of topical steroids. Two of these patients received topical clotrimazole. All four patients eventually required surgery for either control of their infection (three cases) or control of secondary disease (glaucoma and cataract). Medical therapy for Acanthamoeba keratitis remains problematic, and therefore prevention of this disease by avoidance of risk factors remains paramount.