Surface topography of Acanthamoeba culbertsoni extracted from cerebrospinal fluid.

An axenic culture of Acanthamoeba culbertsoni, strain A-1, was obtained from the American Type Culture collection and injected, via the cisterna magna, into the subarachnoid space of dogs. Attention was focused on the pleomorphic surface specialization of the pathogens suspended in cerebrospinal fluid and compared with those from trypticase soy broth suspensions. Light and scanning electron microscopic comparisons of both inoculated and stock (control) specimens demonstrated similar surface features such as microvillous-like to bleb-like microappendages projecting from variably smooth to undulating membranous exteriors. This study introduces a potentially useful morphological technique that could possibly be of assistance in the more rapid diagnosis of these infections facilitated by SEM screening of the cerebrospinal fluid.