An International External Quality Assessment Scheme (EQAS) to Assess the Diagnostic Performance of PCR Detection of Acanthamoeba Keratitis.

The results indicate that a pretreatment procedure can be a risky step in PCR-based detections of Acanthamoeba, but it improves the sensitivity and reliability, especially of samples containing cysts. Therefore, participation in an EQAS is informative for routine diagnostic laboratories and can assist in improving the laboratory procedures used for the diagnosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis.