Utility of Polymerase chain reaction in diagnosis of Acanthamoeba and Microsporidial keratitis

Abstract

Acanthamoeba and Microsporidia are two opportunistic parasitic organisms which are now increasingly recognized as significant emerging cause of microbial keratitis. The reason for this rise in numbers could possibly be because of increasing awareness of the condition, gradual rise in the use of contact lens and improvement in the diagnostic modalities. Early and accurate diagnosis is the most vital step in managing Acanthamoeba and Microsporidial keratitis as prognosis is directly related to timely diagnosis. Current methods of diagnosing these parasites depends mainly upon their morphologic demonstration in the clinical specimen by microscopy. Culture which is the gold standard in diagnosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis is time consuming and requires advanced laboratory set up because of the special growth requirements International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 5 Number 2(2016) pp. 854-860 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com