Light After Darkness: A Case Report of Isolated Optic Perineuritis.

This is a report on remarkable visual recovery from blindness in a case of isolated optic perineuritis (OPN). A 68-year-old Chinese lady presented with a two-week history of progressive painless bilateral vision loss. Her vision was 6/18 on the right eye and no perception of light (NPL) on the left eye with positive relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD). Fundus showed hyperaemic and swollen optic disc bilaterally. MRI of the brain and orbit revealed hyperintense periventricular white matter lesions, possibly early changes of multiple sclerosis (MS), and perineural enhancement of optic nerve bilaterally, consistent with OPN. All other investigations were negative. Intravenous methylprednisolone 1g/day for three days was started, followed with oral prednisolone, tapered in three months. At the third month of follow-up, her vision had improved to 6/12 on the left and 6/9 on the right. The hyperaemic and swollen disc has resolved. Intravenous megadose corticosteroid treatment is an effective first-line treatment for OPN.

Clinical features of seven patients poisoned with a tolfenpyrad-based insecticide in Thailand.

INTRODUCTION: Tolfenpyrad, a novel insecticide originating from Japan and first approved in 2002, has been marketed in numerous countries. Data on tolfenpyrad exposure in humans are limited. This study aimed to characterize the clinical features and outcomes of acute poisoning from tolfenpyrad-based insecticides in Thailand. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed cases of tolfenpyrad exposure reported to the Ramathibodi Poison Center from 2012 to 2022. RESULTS: A total of seven patients were identified, with the majority being male (n = 5). Deliberate tolfenpyrad exposure accounted for three cases. The median age was 33 (range 1-46) years. Severe systemic effects were evident at presentation in the four patients ingesting tolfenpyrad. These included altered mental status (n = 4), mydriasis (n = 2), cardiac arrest (n = 1), hypotension (n = 4), bradycardia (n = 2), and high anion gap metabolic acidosis (n = 4). The median time from exposure to hospital presentation was 30 (range 15-60) minutes. All four patients ingesting tolfenpyrad died, whereas the three patients exposed via inhalation and dermally developed only mild clinical effects, and all were discharged following supportive care. DISCUSSION: We observed many of the clinical features reported previously, including vomiting, mydriasis, altered mental status, metabolic acidosis, and hypotension. We also noted a combination of bradycardia and hypotension while not observing respiratory depression. CONCLUSIONS: Tolfenpyrad insecticide poisoning has been reported infrequently. Rapid systemic toxicity can follow ingestion, resulting in a high mortality. Larger-scale studies are essential to identify predictors of severity and determine the optimal treatment for tolfenpyrad-poisoned patients.

Xerophthalmia in Picky Eater Children.

Xeropthalmia refers to a range of ocular symptoms caused by vitamin A deficiency (VAD), ranging from night blindness and Bitot's spots to corneal xerosis, ulceration, and keratomalacia, which can lead to blindness. We report two cases of xerophthalmia in children with intellectual disabilities. Ocular examination revealed generalized conjunctival xerosis, corneal xerosis, and dense superficial punctate keratopathy. Both share a history of a strict self-selective diet of mainly rice and noodles. Serum vitamin A levels for these children showed a very low level (<0.10 µmol/L) and were categorized as severe VAD. One of the cases showed signs of improvement, and the other one succumbed to death secondary to pneumonia. Therefore, proper history-taking, early detection, and prompt treatment are important to prevent the devastating sequelae of VAD.