ABSTRACT
Purpose: To quantify the number of cases and clinical course of Acanthamoeba keratitis treated at the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital [KKESH] between December 1982 and May 2005, and to review their clinical course and response to medical and surgical therapy. Retrospective review of medical records of all patients with Acanthamoeba keratitis diagnosed by the KKESH Microbiology or Pathology Laboratory since the opening of the hospital. During a period of over 22 years, only six cases of confirmed Acanthamoeba keratitis were diagnosed and treated at KKESH. In two cases the diagnosis was made by cornea1 biopsy, while four cases required examination of a histopathologic specimen obtained at the time of therapeutic keratoplasty to establish the diagnosis. One eye was cured by medical therapy, while five eyes required one [4 eyes] or two [1 eye] therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty [PKP] to achieve a clinical cure. Three eyes achieved good visual acuity [20/40, 20/50, 20/60], one eye achieved fair visual acuity [20/160], and two eyes suffered profound visual loss [hand motions]. The incidence of Acanthamoeba keratitis may be less in Saudi Arabia than that reported in Western countries although the clinical course is similarly complicated, with most cases requiring therapeutic keratoplasty for definitive eradication of the organism