Rapid Diagnosis of Acanthamoeba Keratitis by Iodine Staining of Corneal Scrapings

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Published: Jul 20, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.60141/ajid.103
Keywords:
iodine staining, diagnosis, Acanthamoeba keratitis

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Abdolhossein Dalimi
Department of Parasitology, Medical Sciences Faculty, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Fariba Khoshzaban
Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Shahed University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mahmoud Jabbarvand
Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background: Early and accurate diagnosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis is crucial for appropriate clinical management, preventing permanent corneal damage, scarring, or even perforation. We aimed to introduce a rapid diagnostic method for A. keratitis.


Methods: Corneal scrapings from 21 patients with culture- and PCR-confirmed A. keratitis were evaluated using Giemsa and iodine staining. All cases were referred to Farabi Eye Hospital, a tertiary care center in Tehran, Iran, for specialized evaluation and management.


Results: Acanthamoeba was detected in 42.33% of samples stained with Giemsa and 100% of samples stained with iodine.


Conclusion: Iodine staining is a simple, cost-effective, and rapid method for diagnosing A. keratitis.

Article Details

How to Cite
Dalimi, A., Khoshzaban, F., & Jabbarvand, M. (2025). Rapid Diagnosis of Acanthamoeba Keratitis by Iodine Staining of Corneal Scrapings. Afghanistan Journal of Infectious Diseases, 3(2), 193–196. https://doi.org/10.60141/ajid.103
Issue
Vol. 3 No. 2 (2025): Third Volume, second Issue, July 2025
Section
Short com­munications
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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