Relation of anthropometric measurements to ocular biometric changes and refractive error in children with thalassemia.

PURPOSE: To evaluate and correlate anthropometric, biometric, and refractive error changes in thalassemia major (TM). METHODS: One hundred children with TM and another hundred healthy controls were recruited. Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and occipitofrontal circumference (OFC) were the anthropometric parameters recorded. Full ophthalmologic examination was performed, including best-corrected visual acuity, cycloplegic refraction, slit-lamp examination, Goldmann applanation tonometry, indirect ophthalmoscopy, keratometry (K readings), and ocular biometry. RESULTS: Compared to controls, children with TM were shorter and lighter, with a smaller BMI (p<0.001); however, no significant difference existed in OFC. Regarding ocular biometric data, patients with thalassemia had steeper mean K readings (p = 0.03), shorter axial length (AXL) (p = 0.005), shorter vitreous chamber depth (p<0.001), and thicker crystalline lens (p<0.001) than controls. Patients with thalassemia had a significant myopic shift (p = 0.003). Multiple regression analyses only showed a significant correlation between corneal astigmatism and both weight and height (ß = -0.05 and p = 0.03 and ß = 0.06 and p = 0.04, respectively). Spherical equivalent was significantly correlated to K readings, lens thickness, and anterior chamber depth (p<0.0001 for all parameters). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to controls, children with TM have significant retardation in general and ocular growth (smaller BMI and shorter AXL). Ocular growth changes probably resulted in compensatory biometric changes (steeper corneas and thicker lenses) to reach emmetropization, with an exaggerated response and subsequent myopic shift. However, growth retardation is not directly related to ocular growth changes, myopic shift, or variations in biometric parameters.

Safety of Intracameral Injection of Minimal Bactericidal Concentration of Povidone Iodine on the Corneal Endothelium in a Rabbit Model.

PURPOSE: To investigate the safety of intracameral injection of minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of povidone iodine (PI) on the corneal endothelium in a rabbit model as a proposed method of prophylaxis against postoperative endophthalmitis. METHODS: We included 32 New Zealand white rabbits in the study. Twenty-four rabbits received intracameral injections of 0.1 mL of 0.25% PI, and they were sequentially killed at intervals; first, seventh, and 14th day. The control group included 4 rabbits that received intracameral injections of 0.1 mL normal saline, and 4 rabbits that underwent the same intraocular procedure without injections (sham operated). Slit-lamp examination and ultrasonic corneal pachymetry were performed before and after injections for both eyes. The corneas were histopathologically examined by light and electron microscopy. RESULTS: MBC of PI (0.25%) was toxic to rabbits' corneal endothelium as evident by histopathological changes, corneal edema, and increased corneal thickness on day 1. Signs of healing were obvious on day 7 and were almost complete on day 14, as detected by histopathology, subsidence of corneal edema, and normalization of corneal thickness. CONCLUSIONS: MBC (0.25%) of PI was found toxic to the rabbits' corneal endothelium, with progressive regeneration and complete healing within 2 weeks. To our knowledge, we are the first to use MBC of PI in intracameral injection trials. Further studies on primates, which have more comparable regenerative capacity to humans' corneal endothelium, are encouraged to evaluate their endothelial healing response.