Herpes simplex keratoconjunctivitis in the immediate postoperative period after strabismus surgery.

The authors describe the case of bilateral herpes simplex keratoconjunctivitis (HSK) following uncomplicated 7 mm bilateral lateral rectus recessions in a 3-year-old child. The recovery was initially unremarkable, and the standard postoperative drops of dexamethasone and chloramphenicol (non-preservative free) were prescribed. The child presented 8 days postoperatively with fever, right upper lid swelling and ptosis. She was admitted for intravenous antibiotics for suspected pre-septal cellulitis. Over the next 2 days, she deteriorated with bilateral lid involvement. An examination under anesthesia (EUA) revealed bilateral corneal epithelial (dendritic and geographical) ulcers with conjunctival erosions and pseudo membranes prompting a diagnosis of HSK. This was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. The child recovered within 2 weeks after starting oral and topical antiviral medication. This case highlights the importance of EUA in infections not responding to standard treatment. Although HSK is known to occur after topical steroid use and ocular surgery, we were not able to find any other cases in the literature and believe this is the first reported case of bilateral HSK in the immediate postoperative period after strabismus surgery.

Spontaneous resolution of stage 4B retinopathy of prematurity.

An unfavorable outcome occurs in 31% of cases of treated severe threshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and includes a retinal detachment of the posterior pole. Early treatment with laser of high risk prethreshold or type 1 ROP has significantly reduced this complication. However, despite prompt laser treatment, retinal detachments continue to be seen. Treatment of tractional partial retinal detachments involving the posterior pole (stage 4B ROP) is surgical. Successful reattachment of stage 4B ROP with a lens-sparing vitrectomy is high. The authors describe an infant who had spontaneous reattachment after stage 4B ROP.

Bilateral combined resection and recession of the medial rectus muscle for convergence excess esotropia.

Five patients with true convergence excess esotropia were surgically managed with combined resection and recession of the medial rectus muscles. This technique was chosen to address the near/distance angle disparity. The use of this surgical technique produced full asymptomatic binocular control at near and distance fixation in four patients. One patient developed a consecutive exotropia but regained full binocular control following a second surgical procedure.

Traumatic expulsive aniridia after phacoemulsification.

Blunt trauma is usually associated with severe ocular damage particularly in eyes following cataract surgery. Small, self-sealing incision cataract surgery is changing the pattern of presentation of such cases, with relatively favorable outcomes. We describe a case of blunt trauma following phacoemulsification leading to aniridia.

Multifocal choroiditis with panuveitis in an 8-year-old boy with long-standing idiopathic acute anterior uveitis.

PURPOSE: To report successful treatment of a rare case of sight-threatening pediatric multifocal choroiditis with panuveitis (MFCPU) and the use of electrophysiology to confirm return of macular function. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: An 8-year-old boy with a history of bilateral recurrent non-juvenile idiopathic arthritis acute anterior uveitis (AAU) presented with new-onset blurry vision and floaters in both eyes. Visual acuity had deteriorated to 20/200 right eye and 20/100 left eye. Cells were observed in the anterior chamber and vitreous of both eyes. Ophthalmoscopy showed multiple active small cream-colored chorioretinal lesions and cystoid macular edema (CME) in both eyes in the absence of systemic disease, suggestive of idiopathic MFCPU. Successful rapid visual recovery and resolution of CME confirmed by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was achieved with prompt intensive systemic steroid therapy followed by early introduction of methotrexate. After 9 months, his visual acuities improved to 20/32, and pattern reversal visual evoked potentials and 19 hexagon multifocal electroretinography posttreatment were normal, showing recovery of macular function. CONCLUSIONS: Multifocal choroiditis with panuveitis is rare in children and has not been documented in the presence of previous longstanding recurrent AAU. Onset of floaters in children should alert the clinician to early stages of posterior pole involvement and progression to reduction in vision due to CME requires prompt aggressive steroid therapy monitored by clinical examination, SD-OCT, and electrophysiology, followed by early introduction of immunosuppressive drugs for long-term stability and to avoid steroid-induced adverse effects in children.

Benign Recurrent Sixth (Abducens) Nerve Palsy following Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccination.

Benign, isolated, recurrent sixth nerve palsy is rare in children. It may be associated with febrile viral illness and vaccination in exceptional circumstances although this is a diagnosis of exclusion. Here, we present the case of a 2-year-old Caucasian girl who developed recurrent 6th nerve palsy following vaccination with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. No underlying pathology was identified following extensive investigations and followup. There is limited data available on the pathophysiology of vaccination-related nerve palsies. As with all previous reports of cranial nerve palsies following vaccination, there was complete resolution in this case. Long term followup with repeated physical examination and investigations is warranted to avoid missing severe pathology and operating unnecessarily.

Propranolol and periocular capillary hemangiomas: assessment of refractive effect.

PURPOSE: To assess the effects of systemic propranolol on refractive error in infants with periocular capillary hemangiomas. METHODS: A single-center study of consecutive patients with capillary hemangiomas treated with systemic propranolol. Refractive data were analyzed using Long's matrix formalism and the methods of Harris and Kaye. RESULTS: Seventeen patients were included. At 6 months postoperatively, hemangioma size reduced from 3,214 to 1,806 mm(3) (standard deviation: 4,122 to 2,441). Mean refractive error in the affected eye significantly reduced: -1.25/0.38 × 36 (95% confidence intervals: -5.08/1.20 × 90 to 1.64/1.43 × 180, P = .048) with a smaller change (P = .06) in the unaffected eye of -1.01/+0.31 × 3.16 (95% confidence intervals: -4.02/+1.12 × 180 to +1.49/+0.51 × 90). CONCLUSIONS: Propranolol produced a clinically significant reduction in the infants' refractive error and anisometropia. The reduction in the total refractive error and anisometropia has not been evident in previous analyses, which have concentrated on the change in the "cylinder" as the principal outcome measure.

Horner's syndrome and sixth nerve paresis secondary to a petrous internal carotid artery aneurysm.

We describe a report of a child with a horner's syndrome and sixth nerve paresis secondary to a petrous internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysm. Management of this condition involved coiling of the aneurysm and the use of botulinum toxin to manage his strabismus and associated symptoms.

Validity and ease of use of a computerized Hess chart.

PURPOSE: To investigate agreement between computerized and conventional methods for obtaining Hess charts and to compare relative ease of use of both methods. METHODS: Hess charts of 65 patients were obtained by the use of the computerized Assaf Ocular Motility Analyzer (OMA) and the conventional Lees screen method. The Hess charts produced by each method were compared with a previously described scoring system. Patients compared the ease of testing by using a 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS: For horizontal deviations of the right eye, the OMA provided a significantly larger (P = 0.0001) deviation (301° ± 267°) than the Lees screen (204° ± 306°). The Lees screen gave a significantly larger score for vertical deviations of the left eye (117° ± 158° vs 96° ± 129°; P = 0.003). Vertical deviations of the right eye and horizontal deviations of the left eye did not differ significantly between tests. Patients required the same amount of time to complete both tests, but the OMA was slightly easier to perform than the Lees screen (Likert score, 1.2 ± 0.5 vs 1.3 ± 0.4; P = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: The scores measured were larger with OMA in the horizontal and smaller in the vertical direction than with the Lees screen in some directions. Although the OMA did not save time, patients found it easier to perform than the Lees screen. The OMA may be considered a useful alternative to the Lees screen.

Comparative evaluation of big-bubble deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty and penetrating keratoplasty in a case of macular corneal dystrophy.

PURPOSE: A case of a 54-year-old patient with macular corneal dystrophy who underwent a penetrating keratoplasty (PK) in the left eye and a deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) in the right eye is described. The merits of PK versus DALK for visual rehabilitation in macular corneal dystrophy are discussed. METHODS: After deep lamellar dissection in the left eye, the remaining bed of residual stroma, Descemet membrane, and endothelium was unacceptably hazy and thus converted to PK. The right eye had successful DALK because a relatively clear bed was noted after deep lamellar separation using the big-bubble technique. RESULTS: The spectacle-corrected visual acuities at 2-year follow-up are 6/6 OD and 6/9+ OS. There is mild residual haze in the right eye, although the visual acuity is better in this eye. Endothelial cell counts were satisfactory and not significantly different in both eyes. CONCLUSIONS: This case demonstrates that DALK with the big-bubble technique can be successfully carried out for visual rehabilitation in macular dystrophy. DALK should be considered in cases with no significant Descemet membrane and endothelial involvement because of the potential advantages offered by retaining the host endothelium.