Acanthamoeba keratitis associated with contact lenses; report of three cases in Italy.

Abstract Three female patients, aged from 17 to 44 years, developed Acanthamoeba keratitis associated with the use of soft contact lenses and cosmetic contact lens. Two of these patients were myopic and wore soft contact lenses for optical purpose, while the third patient used a cosmetic lens. In this paper we describe the related risk factors, the success of cultural procedures and the outcome of medical management. In 2 out of the 3 cases we obtained cultures positive for Acanthamoeba, from the contact lenses and the contact-lens case. The isolated strains belong to the group II according to Pussard and Pons and they were proven pathogen for experimentally infected mice. All infections were treated successfully; however in 2 out of the 3 patients the visual acuity was reduced to the light perception.