Naegleria Amebic Keratitis (Corneal Abscess) in the Use of Color Cosmetic Soft Contact Lens Wear: A Case Report
Abstract
Amebic keratitis is a rare but serious corneal infection that is occasionally seen in contact lens wearers. In the early stages, the disease may be mistaken for bacterial keratitis due to corneal inflammation and a reduced visual field, which can delay diagnosis and treatment. In this case report, we present a young female who exhibited symptoms of a corneal ulcer associated with contact lens use and was initially treated for bacterial keratitis. Upon further evaluation, the diagnosis of Naegleria amebic keratitis was confirmed.
[1] Grace E, Asbill S, Virga K. Naegleria fowleri: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment options. Antimicrob Agents
Chemother. 2015;59(11):6677-81. https://doi.org/10.1128/AAC.01293-15
[2] Visvesvara GS. Infections with free-living amebae. Handb Clin Neurol. 2013;114:153-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-53490-3.00010-8
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fowleri. Infect Genet Evol. 2011;11(7):1520-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2011.07.023
[4] Visvesvara GS. Amebic meningoencephalitides and keratitis: challenges in diagnosis and treatment. Curr Opin
Infect Dis. 2010;23(6):590-4. https://doi.org/10.1097/QCO.0b013e32833ed78b
[5] Saburi E, Rajaii T, Behdari A, Kohansal MH, Vazini H. Free-living amoebae in the water resources of Iran: a systematic review. J Parasit Dis. 2017;41:919-28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639- 017-0950-268 Validad MH et al. Naegleria Amebic Keratitis in Color Cosmetic Soft Contact Lens Wear. CRCP. 2025; 10(2):64-68 March/April 2025, Volume 10, Issue 2
[6] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Naegleria fowleri infections. Naegleria fowleri infection | CDC [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2025 Sep 15]. Available from: https://www.cdc. gov/naegleria/about/index.html
[7] Diaz JH. Behavioral and recreational risk factors for free-living amebic infections. J Travel Med. 2011;18(2):130-7. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1708-8305.2011.00493.x
[8] Aykur M, Selver OB, Dagci H, Palamar M. Vermamoeba vermiformis as the etiological agent in a patient with suspected non-Acanthamoeba keratitis. Parasitol Res. 2024;123(9):323. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-024-08347-2
[9] Mascarenhas J, Lalitha P, Prajna NV, Srinivasan M, Das M, D’Silva SS, et al. Acanthamoeba, fungal, and bacterial keratitis: a comparison of risk factors and clinical features. Am J Ophthalmol. 2014;157(1):56-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2013.08.032
[10] Sharma A, Taniguchi J. Emerging strategies for antimicrobial drug delivery to the ocular surface: implications for
infectious keratitis. Ocul Surf. 2017;15(4):670-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtos.2017.06.001
[11] Srigyan D, Gupta M, Ahsan S, Behera H. Infectious keratitis: an immediate cause of concern. Ophthalmol Res Int J. 2017;7:1-6. https://doi.org/10.9734/OR/2017/37637
[12] Fanselow N, Sirajuddin N, Yin XT, Huang AJ, Stuart PM. Acanthamoeba keratitis, pathology, diagnosis and treatment. Pathogens. 2021;10(3):323. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10030323
Chemother. 2015;59(11):6677-81. https://doi.org/10.1128/AAC.01293-15
[2] Visvesvara GS. Infections with free-living amebae. Handb Clin Neurol. 2013;114:153-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-53490-3.00010-8
[3] De Jonckheere JF. Origin and evolution of the worldwide distributed pathogenic amoeboflagellate Naegleria
fowleri. Infect Genet Evol. 2011;11(7):1520-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2011.07.023
[4] Visvesvara GS. Amebic meningoencephalitides and keratitis: challenges in diagnosis and treatment. Curr Opin
Infect Dis. 2010;23(6):590-4. https://doi.org/10.1097/QCO.0b013e32833ed78b
[5] Saburi E, Rajaii T, Behdari A, Kohansal MH, Vazini H. Free-living amoebae in the water resources of Iran: a systematic review. J Parasit Dis. 2017;41:919-28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639- 017-0950-268 Validad MH et al. Naegleria Amebic Keratitis in Color Cosmetic Soft Contact Lens Wear. CRCP. 2025; 10(2):64-68 March/April 2025, Volume 10, Issue 2
[6] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Naegleria fowleri infections. Naegleria fowleri infection | CDC [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2025 Sep 15]. Available from: https://www.cdc. gov/naegleria/about/index.html
[7] Diaz JH. Behavioral and recreational risk factors for free-living amebic infections. J Travel Med. 2011;18(2):130-7. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1708-8305.2011.00493.x
[8] Aykur M, Selver OB, Dagci H, Palamar M. Vermamoeba vermiformis as the etiological agent in a patient with suspected non-Acanthamoeba keratitis. Parasitol Res. 2024;123(9):323. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-024-08347-2
[9] Mascarenhas J, Lalitha P, Prajna NV, Srinivasan M, Das M, D’Silva SS, et al. Acanthamoeba, fungal, and bacterial keratitis: a comparison of risk factors and clinical features. Am J Ophthalmol. 2014;157(1):56-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2013.08.032
[10] Sharma A, Taniguchi J. Emerging strategies for antimicrobial drug delivery to the ocular surface: implications for
infectious keratitis. Ocul Surf. 2017;15(4):670-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtos.2017.06.001
[11] Srigyan D, Gupta M, Ahsan S, Behera H. Infectious keratitis: an immediate cause of concern. Ophthalmol Res Int J. 2017;7:1-6. https://doi.org/10.9734/OR/2017/37637
[12] Fanselow N, Sirajuddin N, Yin XT, Huang AJ, Stuart PM. Acanthamoeba keratitis, pathology, diagnosis and treatment. Pathogens. 2021;10(3):323. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10030323
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 10 No 2 (2025): March-April | |
| Section | Case Report(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/crcp.v10i2.19899 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Naegleria amebic keratitis Contact lens Corneal abscess | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Validad MH, Salimi-Khorashad A, Rezaei Kahkhaei F. Naegleria Amebic Keratitis (Corneal Abscess) in the Use of Color Cosmetic Soft Contact Lens Wear: A Case Report. CRCP. 2025;10(2):64-68.
