Seasonal Hyperacute Panuveitis (SHAPU) Outbreak Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic.

PURPOSE: To document the demographic profile of the SHAPU outbreak amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A multicentric cross-sectional study of the 2021 SHAPU outbreak during the second phase of the COVID-19 outbreak. RESULTS: A total of 135 patients were diagnosed with SHAPU from August to December 2021, 77 (57%) were children <16 years, males 54.8% and 34.8% had direct physical contact with white moths and 41.5% had severe type of SHAPU. Dramatic increment in the moth abundance was noted in these outbreak sites. Few cases presented with atypical ocular findings, unlike past outbreaks. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic with restrictions on travel and transportation, timely management was difficult and good visual outcome was achieved only in mild-moderate cases with an early presentation. CONCLUSION: The surge in the number of SHAPU patients, its occurrence in areas previously unreported, and some atypical presentation added raised suspicion of a possible link between COVID-19 and SHAPU.

Increase in SHAPU patients, incidence in unreported areas of Nepal, atypical ocular presentations and shift in disease affection from children towards adults population have raised doubt between connections between SHAPU, white moths and COVID pandemic.

Classification of Seasonal Hyperacute Panuveitis (SHAPU).

INTRODUCTION: Classification are essential part of scientific methodology and has important role in medical reporting system. Even after having 46 years long history, Seasonal Hyperacute Panuveitis (SHAPU), the blinding diseases reported mainly from Nepal lacks a standard classification system. Thus, we aim to contribute in the ophthalmic nosology by purposing a classification system for SHAPU. METHODOLOGY: The classification is suggested on the background of prolonged experience of this entity by the group of investigators who have dedicated years of research on this topic. CONCLUSION: We are optimistic that the proposed classification system will help in effective planning and evaluation of this ocular emergency condition and deliver the appropriate and reliable information for timely management and prevention of complications.

Moth hair in cornea in a case of seasonal hyperacute panuveitis.

Seasonal Hyperacute Panuveitis (SHAPU) is a seasonal and cyclic uveitic disease reported only from Nepal occurring every odd year. Untreated eyes go blind and phthisis within a week. Circumstantial evidence for the role of moths has been reported earlier. Herein for the first time, we describe a SHAPU case in a healthy young Nepalese patient where the exposure to white moth was followed by the development of the uveitis and the moth hair particles was detected in the corneal and presence was confirmed with anterior segment optical coherence topography.

Youngest reported Seasonal Hyperacute Panuveitis case.

PURPOSE: Seasonal Hyperacute Panuveitis (SHAPU) is a mysterious but rapidly devastating intraocular inflammatory disease reported only from Nepal during odd years after monsoon. Though it predominantly affects children, it has been reported between 9 months and 50 years age. But herein, we report a case of SHAPU in a 38-days-baby during 2017 SHAPU outbreak. OBSERVATIONS: Parents of a 38-days-healthy male baby from Pokhara noticed redness in child's right eye since 5 days (October 2017). They noticed the fall of a white moth from the tubelight over the child's face 1-day prior to symptom onset. On examination, both eyes followed and fixated at light. The right eye was congested with dense anterior chamber reaction and white pupillary reflex obscuring the glow of the retina. Ultrasonography showed hyperechoic vitreous shadows with choroidal thickening. Left eye was normal. The child underwent vitreous tap with core vitrectomy + lensectomy with intravitreal antibiotics and steroid ↓GA. The blood investigations were normal and the vitreous sample yielded no organism growth. Viral PCR analysis was negative. The intraocular inflammation decreased and fundal glow was visible. CONCLUSIONS: AND IMPORTANCE: SHAPU can occur in a child as young as 38 days. Link with moth remains the strongest suspect.

Ocular manifestations of childhood acute leukemia in a tertiiary level eye centre of Kathmandu, Nepal.

INTRODUCTION: In some instances, the understanding of the ocular manifestations in childhood leukemia is not only important to establish the diagnosis but also reflects the disease state and prognosis. OBJECTIVE: To study the ocular manifestations of childhood acute leukemia among the children attending a tertiary-level hospital in Nepal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was undertaken at the B.P. Koirala Lions Centre for Ophthalmic Studies (BPKLCOS) and Kanti Children Hospital (KCH), Kathmandu, over a period of one-and-a-half years. Children diagnosed with acute childhood leukemia referred to the BPKLCOS from the Oncology Unit of the KCH and the Emergency Department of the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) were included in the study, using a non-probability sampling method. RESULTS: Of the 71 cases with childhood acute leukemia, 55 (77.5%; 95% CI = 66% - 85%) had acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL)whereas the other 16 (23%) had acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). Ocular involvement were seen in 33 cases (46%) and were more frequent in cases of AML as compared to those with ALL (p=0.001, OR 5.0, 95% CI= 1.4 - 17.5). Direct ocular involvement and secondary ocular involvement were observed in 12 (16.9%) and 29 (40.8%) subjects, respectively. Ocular symptoms were present in only 11 cases (15.49%). Cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) and bone marrow examination in cases with direct ocular involvement showed 10 cases (83.3%) positive for blast cells in the CSF and 6 cases (50%) positive for blast cells in bone marrow. The most common secondary manifestation was retinal haemorrhage, seen in 23 cases (32.4%). CONCLUSION: In view of the high asymptomatic ocular involvement and the significant visual morbidity, a routine ophthalmic examination is recommended as an integral part of the medical examination in all cases of childhood acute leukemia.

Outcome of horizontal strabismus surgery and parents' satisfaction.

INTRODUCTION: A clinical audit of strabismus surgery in children in terms of functional and cosmetic outcomes helps improve the quality of services in pediatric ophthalmology. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcome of strabismus surgery and assess the satisfaction of the patients' parents with respect to the surgery outcome. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A study of an interventional series of cases that included 60 strabismic subjects was carried out. The bilateral strabismus surgery under general anesthesia was performed on all subjects using the fornix approach. The parents' understanding about strabismus and the cosmetic outcome was assessed through a set of interview questionnaires. The main outcome measures were the amount of deviation, the parents' knowledge about strabismus and their satisfaction after the intervention. RESULTS: Of the 60 subjects, 32 (53.3%) were esotropic and 28 (46.7%) exotropic. The male to female ratio was 1:1. The mean age with standard deviation was 16.6±8.5 years,with a range of 3 to 35 years. The pre- operative mean esotropia with standard deviation was 48.2±14.8 pd, with a range of 22 to 114 pd). The pre-operative mean exotropia was 57.8±14.2 pd, with a range of 25 to 90 pd). In 93.47% of the subjects, the ocular deviation after surgery reduced significantly (p=less than 0.00). After the strabismus surgery, orthophoria was achieved in 15 (25%) subjects, and with excellent cosmetics. After surgery, gross binocular single vision was attained in 39.3% of the exotropes and in 17.9% of the esotropes. Only 30% of the parents were aware about the strabismus and the treatment modalities. Nearly 90% of the parents were satisfied with the cosmetic outcome. CONCLUSION: Horizontal and bilateral strabismus has good surgical outcome with improved cosmetic acceptance.

Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in a healthy Nepalese population by spectral domain optical coherence tomography.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the normal values for peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (RNFL) measured by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD- OCT) in a healthy Nepalese population and to compare the RNFL thicknesses between the genders and among the various age groups. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred and fifty six eyes of 156 healthy Nepalese subjects (66 males and 88 females) of various age groups were enrolled in this observational, cross-sectional, hospital-based study. The peripapillary RNFL of the randomly chosen eye of each subject was imaged with a high resolution SD-OCT (Spectralis HRA+OCT, Heidelberg Engineering). The RNFL thickness was measured around the optic nerve head using 16 automatically averaged, consecutive, circular B scans with a 3.4 mm diameter and compared between the genders and among the various age groups. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 38.94±17.00 years (range-14 to 76 years). The average peripapillary RNFL was found to be 102.64±9.56 µm (95% CI 97.01-101.93). The mean±SD peripapillary RNFL measurements at the superior, nasal, inferior and temporal sectors in the study population were 129.51±15.09 µm, 76.55±12.02 µm, 134.53±17.19 µm and 70.74±15.53 µm respectively. The average RNFL thickness was 99.47±10.18 µm in the male whereas it was 105.09±8.31 µm in the female participants. The RNFL decreased by 2.26 µm per age per decade. CONCLUSION: The Average RNFL thickness is 102.64±9.56 µm in the Nepalese population. Gender and age related variation in the RNFL could serve as a useful guideline in the diagnosis of glaucoma in our population.