Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Parasitology 1735-7020 10 4 2015 12 14 541 546 EN Elham HAJIALILO Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Maryam NIYYATI Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences,Tehran, Iran Mohammad SOLAYMANI Farabi Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mostafa REZAEIAN Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Center for Research of Endemic Parasites of Iran (CREPI), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2015 12 14 2015 12 14 Background: Free-living amoeba (FLA)-related keratitis is a progressive infection of the cornea with poor prognosis. The present study aimed to investigates the con­tact lenses of patients with keratitis for pathogenic free-living amoebae. Methods: Overall, 62 contact lenses and their paraphernalia of patients with kerati­tis cultured and tested for the presence of free-living amoebae using morphological criteria. Unusual plates including plates containing mix amoebae and Vermamoeba were submitted to molecular analysis. Results: Out of 62 plates, 11 revealed the outgrowth of free living amoeba of which 9 were Acanthamoeba, one plates contained mix amoebae including Acan­thamoeba and Vermamoeba and one showed the presence of Vermamoeba. These two latter plates belonged to patients suffered from unilateral keratitis due to the mis­used of soft contact lenses. One of the patients had mix infection of Acanthamoeba (T4) and V. vermiformis meanwhile the other patient was infected with the V. vermiformis. Conclusion: Amoebic keratitis continues to rise in Iran and worldwide. To date, various genera of free-living amoebae such as Vermamoeba could be the causative agent of keratitis. Soft contact lens wearers are the most affected patients in the country, thus awareness of high-risk people for preventing free-living amoebae re­lated keratitis is of utmost importance. https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/view/652 https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/download/652/533