acanthamoeba keratitis and its associated risk factors in farabi eye hospital of tehran

purpose : acanthamoeba keratitis (ak) is a sight-threatening corneal infection with a rapidly increased incidence since 1990s along with the growing popularity of contact lenses. in this study we aimed to study patients with ak and its associated risk factors in farabi eye hospital of tehran, focusing on those with more severe corneal involvement. methods : patients with clinical or laboratory diagnosis of ak at the cornea clinic of farabi eye hospital during april 2009 to march 2010 were studied regarding their demographics, and clinical characteristics, corneal infection risk factors, and suboptimal hygiene practices. linear regression analysis was applied to determine factors affecting the stage of corneal involvement at presentation. results : twenty five patients (4 males and 21 females) with 27 involved eyes were identified during the one year study. cosmetic contact lenses accounted for the most common potential risk factor of ak (85.2%). most of the patients (92.6%) reported a history of antibacterial treatment before the presentation. only four patients (16%) did not report any suboptimal hygiene practice. in the linear regression model only the first visual acuity (va) at presentation, and the duration of symptoms were independently associated with the stage of disease. conclusion : the high number of patients presented with ak in our study suggests a possible outbreak of the disease in tehran, which is highly associated with cosmetic contact lenses.   iranian journal of ophthalmology 201325(4):297-303 © 2013 by the iranian society of ophthalmology