LIMITATIONS IN TANDEM SCANNING CONFOCAL MICROSCOPY AS A DIAGNOSTIC-TOOL FOR MICROBIAL KERATITIS

One potential application of tandem scanning confocal microscopy is the detection of in vivo pathogens. Our study of an experimental model of Acanthamoeba keratitis demonstrates that while this technology can successfully detect certain organisms, there are currently limitations. These limitations relate to instrument configuration, movement of either the tissue or the microscope, difficulty in reproducibly returning to the area of interest for serial examination, the lack of a distinctive morphology of some pathogens, and limited resolution of the microscope.