> mb wrote:
> > I added another mother to my support group from Louisana. 16 year old
> > boy got the infection in Jan. 2006, a woman from Indiana in January,
> > and a man from Kansas city last week. they fought his as herpes for 13
> > months. wonder what kind of solution your patients had used.
> I wish I knew. We have traditionally favored Optifree Express over
> ReNu because of the broader spectrum of action.
> One girl had been hit in the eye with a toy hockey puck from a game.
> She mentioned that she had put an ice pack on her eye. She had been
> wearing her contact lens at the time.
> Another was wearing 30 day continuous wear and had been swimming in
> them.
> The third was wearing disposable lenses, with no known risk
> factors...denied swimming, using tap water, etc.
> The fourth was in continuous wear contacts and got dust in her eye out
> in west Texas.
> All four had atypical presentation, with small dense central
> infiltrates under an intact epithelium...too dense in my opinion to be
> mistaken for herpes. High magnification revealed faint tracks or
> filaments, which are basically tunnels created by the organism. They
> all looked septic.
> All were positively diagnosed with confocal microscopy. The first
> three had similar appearance, which helped with the diagnosis. The
> fourth patient was highly atypical in that the infiltrate was small and
> peripheral. The department head, who is also an expert on
> acanthamoeba, stated that these were the earliest cases he had ever
> seen. He later commended me on my early "catch," and for resisting the
> urge to reach for the steroids, which causes the organism to spread
> quicker. It was not that I was able to correctly diagnose the first
> case, but had simply ruled out anything with which I was familiar. I
> reasoned first that it was infectious, and secondly that it was
> anaerobic. With a medical school nearby, it would have been foolish to
> begin treatment without a positive diagnosis.
> DrG

> I added another mother to my support group from Louisana. 16 year old
> boy got the infection in Jan. 2006, a woman from Indiana in January,
> and a man from Kansas city last week. they fought his as herpes for 13
> months. wonder what kind of solution your patients had used.

> mb wrote:
> > Dr. Leukoma wrote:
> > > mb wrote:
> > > > Dr. Leukoma wrote:
> > > > > mb wrote:
> > > > > > > > > > > Obviously, since this is such a virulent parasite as we cannot even
> > > > > > develop effective antibiotics to kill this parasite, let alone put
> > > > > > these cleaning agents in our contact lens solutions, all the more
> > > > > > reason for warnings. I am fearful this Acanthamoeba trend will
> > > > > > continue and we are entitled to find out why.
> > > > > > > > > I guess I need to see some statistics supporting this "trend." Or, is
> > > > > it just a "spike" caused by temporary local environmental factors such
> > > > > as warmer water, less rainfall causing lakes to be lower, etc. Here at
> > > > > the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, they are looking
> > > > > at the immunological aspects, i.e. what keeps most people from
> > > > > contracting the infection.
> > > > > > > > > My own pet theory, for which I have no proof whatsoever, is the
> > > > > changing perception of the contact lens as a consumer product rather
> > > > > than a medical device caused by a number of variables, and increasing
> > > > > emphasis on convenience. For some reason, it seems that more people
> > > > > consider it their right not to be inconvenienced. The end result?
> > > > > Less attention paid to lens hygeine.
> > > > > > > > > DrG
> > > > > > > We had plenty of doctors very interested in my daughter's case and one
> > > > doctor too stated it could possibly be a missing gene in their immune
> > > > system that protects others from this parasite. Allergies, possibly,
> > > > with medicines that cause the eye to be dryer, don't know. Our tears
> > > > do perform a protective barrier against most bacteria. I will email
> > > > you the Chicago and Philadelphia studies. The doctors in these two
> > > > cities are very concerned about this spike as well. I would like to
> > > > know how many cases of Acanthamoeba have occurred in Texas in the last
> > > > several years. I have read with interest about Dr. Niederkorn and his
> > > > studies on the immunity issue.
> > > > > I know Dr. Niederkorn, and we're practically neighbors.
> > > > > DrG
> > > Small world. Would be interested to get his expert opinion on these
> > issues and to ascertain if there are increasing trends in Texas. My
> > guess is his expertise in this field already demonstrates there is a
> > heightened concern.
> I would guess that time frame was atypical, which explains the
> interest. As I said earlier, 4 cases in 6 months, without any during
> the previous 19 years, and none since. Sounds like an environmental
> cause to me. Plus none of the residents got it right.
> DrG

> Dr. Leukoma wrote:
> > mb wrote:
> > > Dr. Leukoma wrote:
> > > > mb wrote:
> > > > > > > > > Obviously, since this is such a virulent parasite as we cannot even
> > > > > develop effective antibiotics to kill this parasite, let alone put
> > > > > these cleaning agents in our contact lens solutions, all the more
> > > > > reason for warnings. I am fearful this Acanthamoeba trend will
> > > > > continue and we are entitled to find out why.
> > > > > > > I guess I need to see some statistics supporting this "trend." Or, is
> > > > it just a "spike" caused by temporary local environmental factors such
> > > > as warmer water, less rainfall causing lakes to be lower, etc. Here at
> > > > the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, they are looking
> > > > at the immunological aspects, i.e. what keeps most people from
> > > > contracting the infection.
> > > > > > > My own pet theory, for which I have no proof whatsoever, is the
> > > > changing perception of the contact lens as a consumer product rather
> > > > than a medical device caused by a number of variables, and increasing
> > > > emphasis on convenience. For some reason, it seems that more people
> > > > consider it their right not to be inconvenienced. The end result?
> > > > Less attention paid to lens hygeine.
> > > > > > > DrG
> > > > > We had plenty of doctors very interested in my daughter's case and one
> > > doctor too stated it could possibly be a missing gene in their immune
> > > system that protects others from this parasite. Allergies, possibly,
> > > with medicines that cause the eye to be dryer, don't know. Our tears
> > > do perform a protective barrier against most bacteria. I will email
> > > you the Chicago and Philadelphia studies. The doctors in these two
> > > cities are very concerned about this spike as well. I would like to
> > > know how many cases of Acanthamoeba have occurred in Texas in the last
> > > several years. I have read with interest about Dr. Niederkorn and his
> > > studies on the immunity issue.
> > > I know Dr. Niederkorn, and we're practically neighbors.
> > > DrG
> Small world. Would be interested to get his expert opinion on these
> issues and to ascertain if there are increasing trends in Texas. My
> guess is his expertise in this field already demonstrates there is a
> heightened concern.

> mb wrote:
> > Dr. Leukoma wrote:
> > > mb wrote:
> > > > > > > Obviously, since this is such a virulent parasite as we cannot even
> > > > develop effective antibiotics to kill this parasite, let alone put
> > > > these cleaning agents in our contact lens solutions, all the more
> > > > reason for warnings. I am fearful this Acanthamoeba trend will
> > > > continue and we are entitled to find out why.
> > > > > I guess I need to see some statistics supporting this "trend." Or, is
> > > it just a "spike" caused by temporary local environmental factors such
> > > as warmer water, less rainfall causing lakes to be lower, etc. Here at
> > > the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, they are looking
> > > at the immunological aspects, i.e. what keeps most people from
> > > contracting the infection.
> > > > > My own pet theory, for which I have no proof whatsoever, is the
> > > changing perception of the contact lens as a consumer product rather
> > > than a medical device caused by a number of variables, and increasing
> > > emphasis on convenience. For some reason, it seems that more people
> > > consider it their right not to be inconvenienced. The end result?
> > > Less attention paid to lens hygeine.
> > > > > DrG
> > > We had plenty of doctors very interested in my daughter's case and one
> > doctor too stated it could possibly be a missing gene in their immune
> > system that protects others from this parasite. Allergies, possibly,
> > with medicines that cause the eye to be dryer, don't know. Our tears
> > do perform a protective barrier against most bacteria. I will email
> > you the Chicago and Philadelphia studies. The doctors in these two
> > cities are very concerned about this spike as well. I would like to
> > know how many cases of Acanthamoeba have occurred in Texas in the last
> > several years. I have read with interest about Dr. Niederkorn and his
> > studies on the immunity issue.
> I know Dr. Niederkorn, and we're practically neighbors.
> DrG

> Dr. Leukoma wrote:
> > mb wrote:
> > > > > Obviously, since this is such a virulent parasite as we cannot even
> > > develop effective antibiotics to kill this parasite, let alone put
> > > these cleaning agents in our contact lens solutions, all the more
> > > reason for warnings. I am fearful this Acanthamoeba trend will
> > > continue and we are entitled to find out why.
> > > I guess I need to see some statistics supporting this "trend." Or, is
> > it just a "spike" caused by temporary local environmental factors such
> > as warmer water, less rainfall causing lakes to be lower, etc. Here at
> > the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, they are looking
> > at the immunological aspects, i.e. what keeps most people from
> > contracting the infection.
> > > My own pet theory, for which I have no proof whatsoever, is the
> > changing perception of the contact lens as a consumer product rather
> > than a medical device caused by a number of variables, and increasing
> > emphasis on convenience. For some reason, it seems that more people
> > consider it their right not to be inconvenienced. The end result?
> > Less attention paid to lens hygeine.
> > > DrG
> We had plenty of doctors very interested in my daughter's case and one
> doctor too stated it could possibly be a missing gene in their immune
> system that protects others from this parasite. Allergies, possibly,
> with medicines that cause the eye to be dryer, don't know. Our tears
> do perform a protective barrier against most bacteria. I will email
> you the Chicago and Philadelphia studies. The doctors in these two
> cities are very concerned about this spike as well. I would like to
> know how many cases of Acanthamoeba have occurred in Texas in the last
> several years. I have read with interest about Dr. Niederkorn and his
> studies on the immunity issue.

> mb wrote:
> > > Obviously, since this is such a virulent parasite as we cannot even
> > develop effective antibiotics to kill this parasite, let alone put
> > these cleaning agents in our contact lens solutions, all the more
> > reason for warnings. I am fearful this Acanthamoeba trend will
> > continue and we are entitled to find out why.
> I guess I need to see some statistics supporting this "trend." Or, is
> it just a "spike" caused by temporary local environmental factors such
> as warmer water, less rainfall causing lakes to be lower, etc. Here at
> the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, they are looking
> at the immunological aspects, i.e. what keeps most people from
> contracting the infection.
> My own pet theory, for which I have no proof whatsoever, is the
> changing perception of the contact lens as a consumer product rather
> than a medical device caused by a number of variables, and increasing
> emphasis on convenience. For some reason, it seems that more people
> consider it their right not to be inconvenienced. The end result?
> Less attention paid to lens hygeine.
> DrG

> Obviously, since this is such a virulent parasite as we cannot even
> develop effective antibiotics to kill this parasite, let alone put
> these cleaning agents in our contact lens solutions, all the more
> reason for warnings. I am fearful this Acanthamoeba trend will
> continue and we are entitled to find out why.

> mb wrote:
> > Dr. Leukoma wrote:
> > > mb wrote:
> > > > > > > > > Yes, he is a renowned lasik surgeon. My daughter would let no one
> > > > touch her eye except him. His hands are gifted as well as his mind.
> > > > We could not have been under better care than that, facing the prospect
> > > > that she almost lost her eye battling this infection.
> > > > > Interestingly, I know what that is like first hand. One of my most
> > > recent patients was damaged by LASIK in 1998, performed by a very
> > > gifted surgeon. She hasn't let anyone touch her eyes until now.
> > > > > DrG
> > > My naivete must be showing. All of us common people put so much trust
> > in our doctors when they help us, but even gifted doctors make mistakes
> > or procedures just simply go wrong. Yes, lasik can be blindness as
> > well as better sight. You are right, of course, no one is protecting
> > the consumer on that front either. I am just not surprised anymore.
> > Our eyesight has been underprotected for years on all fronts.
> > Something needs to change.
> > > I hope your gifted hands can restore your patient's sight.
> She is quite happy. I just like to keep things in perspective. There
> is a jungle of misinformation out there.
> By the way, I have been told repeatedly by Alcon that their Optifree
> kills acanthamoeba cysts after 6 hours. I know that hydrogen peroxide
> kills the cysts as well after a 6 hour soak. This means a 6 hour soak
> in the full 3% strength. The unfortunate thing is that the leading
> hydrogen peroxide disinfection system begins to neutralize the hydrogen
> peroxide as soon as the contact lenses are put into the container. I
> am referring of course to the one with the grey disk at the bottom.
> It might interest you that at the time of the last "acanthamoeba scare"
> almost twenty years ago, there was no effective pharmaceutical agent
> against it initially.
> DrG

> Dr. Leukoma wrote:
> > mb wrote:
> > > > > > Yes, he is a renowned lasik surgeon. My daughter would let no one
> > > touch her eye except him. His hands are gifted as well as his mind.
> > > We could not have been under better care than that, facing the prospect
> > > that she almost lost her eye battling this infection.
> > > Interestingly, I know what that is like first hand. One of my most
> > recent patients was damaged by LASIK in 1998, performed by a very
> > gifted surgeon. She hasn't let anyone touch her eyes until now.
> > > DrG
> My naivete must be showing. All of us common people put so much trust
> in our doctors when they help us, but even gifted doctors make mistakes
> or procedures just simply go wrong. Yes, lasik can be blindness as
> well as better sight. You are right, of course, no one is protecting
> the consumer on that front either. I am just not surprised anymore.
> Our eyesight has been underprotected for years on all fronts.
> Something needs to change.
> I hope your gifted hands can restore your patient's sight.