The role of the calcofluor white staining in the diagnosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis

Journal of Ophthalmic Inflammation and Infection

Research

Christian Maximilian Wertheimer¹  Adnan Kilani¹  Lennart Maximilian Hartmann¹  Armin Wolf¹  Romina Schweikert¹  Carolin Elhardt¹  Efstathios Vounotrypidis¹ 

[1] Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Ulm, Prittwitzstrasse 43, 89075, Ulm, Germany;

关键词: Acanthamoeba;    Calcofluor white;    Polymerase chain reaction;    Microbiological testing;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12348-023-00345-2

 received in 2023-01-28, accepted in 2023-04-11,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

PurposeAcanthamoeba keratitis is often misdiagnosed at disease onset. This study presents data to confirm the diagnosis using calcofluor white (CFW) staining.MethodsForty three patients were retrospectively included who presented to the Department of Ophthalmology at the University Hospital Ulm with keratitis between 2000 and 2022. Condition positive cases were diagnosed based on the typical clinical presentation of Acanthamoeba keratitis with a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Condition negative were patients with ulcers due to other causing pathogens with a negative Acanthamoeba PCR result. The condition was compared with the CFW test results.ResultsAfter symptom onset, time until presentation was 17 ± 12 days and until diagnosis 27 ± 13 days in the 15 condition positive patients. Among the 35 patients with additional CFW test, 7 patients were condition positive and 28 negative. 5 of the 7 patients were true positive, 2 were false negative. In the 28 condition negative patients, 1 was false positive. Sensitivity of CFW was 71% and specificity 96%. The positive PCR results were available 3.4 ± 2.3 days after corneal scraping, the positive CFW test results on the same day in each case.ConclusionOur data demonstrate that diagnosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis remains difficult and therapy is initiated late. A positive CFW test confirms the diagnosis as there are almost no false positive results and it was available faster than PCR. In case of a negative CFW test, Acanthamoeba keratitis cannot be ruled out because of a high false negative rate.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023

【 图 表 】

Fig. 1