A Case Report of Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus and Meningitis After COVID-19 Vaccination.

There are several reports that herpes zoster characterized by reactivation of varicella zoster virus (VZV) following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines can occur. Herein, we report VZV meningitis, herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO), and late neurotrophic keratitis after receiving a second dose of messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine. A 74-year-old man developed a vesicular skin rash on the forehead, scalp, nose, and left upper eyelid with a severe headache. Five days earlier, he received a second dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine on his left arm. Ocular examination revealed conjunctival hyperemia and pseudodendrite in the peripheral cornea. VZV was detected in the cerebrospinal fluid using polymerase chain reaction. The patient was diagnosed with HZO and meningitis. The patient was treated with intravenous acyclovir and topical acyclovir ointment and levofloxacin 1.5% eye drops. One month later, he developed a central epithelial defect with a rolled margin, typical of a neurotrophic ulcer. Treatment with a therapeutic contact lens and a combination of topical recombinant human epithelial growth factor and ofloxacin ointment was initiated. At six months after vaccination, the slit-lamp examination findings were stable with a mild corneal superficial stromal haze.

Newly identified paired box 6 mutation of variant familial aniridia: Congenital iris ectropion with foveal hypoplasia.

Congenital aniridia is a kind of eye disease characterized by complete or partial hypoplasia of the iris and is associated with other ocular anomalies including corneal opacity, glaucoma, and foveal hypoplasia. Heterozygous mutation of paired box 6 (PAX6) gene was identified in most cases of aniridia, with iatrogenic mutations accounting for about two-third of the cases and chromosomal rearrangements accounting for the other one-third. We report rare cases of variant aniridia, congenital iris ectropion associated with foveal hypoplasia in both a woman and her son with a mutation of PAX6 gene. To our knowledge, deletion c. 936delC in exon 8 of PAX6 gene has not been reported until now.

Cyanidin suppresses amyloid beta-induced neurotoxicity by inhibiting reactive oxygen species-mediated DNA damage and apoptosis in PC12 cells.

Amyloid beta (Aß)-induced oxidative stress is a major pathologic hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Cyanidin, a natural flavonoid compound, is neuroprotective against oxidative damage-mediated degeneration. However, its molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of cyanidin pretreatment against Aß-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells, and explored the underlying mechanisms. Cyanidin pretreatment significantly attenuated Aß-induced cell mortality and morphological changes in PC12 cells. Mechanistically, cyanidin effectively blocked apoptosis induced by Aß, by restoring the mitochondrial membrane potential via upregulation of Bcl-2 protein expression. Moreover, cyanidin markedly protected PC12 cells from Aß-induced DNA damage by blocking reactive oxide species and superoxide accumulation. These results provide evidence that cyanidin suppresses Aß-induced cytotoxicity, by preventing oxidative damage mediated by reactive oxide species, which in turn inhibits mitochondrial apoptosis. Our study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of cyanidin in the prevention of oxidative stress-mediated Aß neurotoxicity.

Clinical aspects and prognosis of mixed microbial (bacterial and fungal) keratitis.

PURPOSE: To investigate the predisposing factors, clinical presentations, treatment results, and prognosis of keratitis caused by mixed infectious agents (bacteria and fungi). METHODS: This is a retrospective study of cases with mixed bacterial and fungal keratitis, presented between January 2000 and December 2007 at a tertiary referral hospital. The study was performed to identify and analyze its risk factors, causative microbial organisms, clinical features, and therapeutic outcomes. RESULTS: Thirty-three cases of mixed bacterial and fungal keratitis in 33 patients were identified. Twenty-one cases (64%) were men, and the mean age was 64.3 ± 10.3 years. The average follow-up time was 7.2 ± 6.6 months. The most common predisposing factor for mixed keratitis was a history of ocular trauma (46%), followed by ocular surface diseases (27%). The mean pretreatment infiltration size was 11.7 ± 12.7 mm. The most common causative organisms were Staphylococcus epidermidis and Fusarium species. Seventeen cases (52%) underwent various surgical interventions: evisceration in 7 eyes (21%), penetrating keratoplasty in 5 eyes (15%), amniotic membrane transplantation in 5 eyes (15%), and so on. Seventeen cases (52%) were included in the initial treatment failure group. The significant risk factor for initial treatment failure was a large ulcer size (size over 15 mm) (P = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: The most common risk factor for mixed bacterial and fungal keratitis was ocular trauma, and the most common combination was Staphylococcus epidermidis and Fusarium species. Usually, patients with mixed bacterial and fungal keratitis have poor prognosis. Thus, when the infectious keratitis is running an atypical course or found unresponsive to the initial medical treatment, the possibility of a mixed infection by bacterial and fungal organisms should be considered.

Operating microscope light-induced phototoxic maculopathy after transscleral sutured posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to report the features of operating microscope light-induced retinal phototoxic maculopathy after transscleral sutured posterior chamber intraocular lens (TSS PC-IOL) implantation. METHODS: The charts of 118 patients who underwent TSS PC-IOL implantation surgery at Chonbuk National University Hospital (Jeonju, Korea) between March 1999 and February 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Fourteen patients underwent combined 3-port pars plana vitrectomy and TSS PC-IOL implantation (vitrectomy group), and 104 patients underwent TSS PC-IOL implantation only (nonvitrectomy group). All surgeries were performed under the same coaxial illuminated microscope. All diagnoses were confirmed through careful fundus examination and fluorescein angiography (FA). RESULTS: Diagnoses of retinal phototoxic maculopathy were established in 10 (8.47%) of 118 TSS PC-IOL implantation cases. Phototoxic maculopathy occurred more frequently in the vitrectomy group than in the nonvitrectomy group (6/14 versus 4/104, respectively; P < 0.001, chi-square = 24.21). Affected patients reported decreased vision and were found to have coarse alterations of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). In 5 of the phototoxic maculopathy cases (50%), the visual acuity was 20/200 or worse. CONCLUSION: Operating microscope light-induced retinal phototoxic maculopathy can occur more frequently after TSS PC-IOL implantation than after casual cataract surgery, especially when TSS PC-IOL is combined with vitrectomy surgery. Surgeons should take precautions to prevent retinal phototoxicity after TSS PC-IOL implantation and vitrectomy.

Ischemic optic neuropathy after hemiarthroplasty for femoral neck fracture.

Ischemic optic neuropathy due to hemorrhaging remote from visual pathway can occur after surgery. This complication is usually associated with a chronic bleeding disorder, such as gastrointestinal hemorrhage, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, and/or metal poisoning. There are many complications related to cemented hemiarthroplasty in patients who have a femoral neck fracture, such as dislocation, infection, leg length discrepancy, peroneal nerve palsy, and embolism. However, visual loss after this procedure has not previously been reported. In the case reported here, the operation time was short, and there was no massive hemorrhaging. Unilateral visual loss occurred within 3 days of an apparently safe and simple unilateral hemiarthroplasty of the hip.