Central corneal thickness and intraocular pressure in Puerto Rican glaucoma patients.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the variations in central corneal thickness and intraocular pressure measurements according to race, gender, and age. METHODS: A non-concurrent prospective study of 372 (744 eyes) glaucoma patients was conducted. Central corneal thickness was measured with ultrasound pachymeter and intraocular pressure with Goldmann tonometer. The relationship between CCT, race, gender, and age was evaluated using both descriptive and statistical analysis. RESULTS: The population age was 64 +/- 19.52 years. The mean central corneal thickness was 546 +/- 43.84 microm. The mean corrected intraocular pressure was 17 +/- 5.26 mm Hg. Central corneal thickness of male patients (549 +/- 43.43 pm) was thicker than that of female patients (546 +/- 41.83 microm). The mean corrected intraocular pressure in male patients (16 +/- 5.41 mm Hg) was less than that of female patients (17 +/- 5.18 mm Hg). The mean central corneal thickness in patients 0 to 9 years-of-age was 548 +/- 36.08 microm; 10 to 19 years-of-age was 606 +/- 82.30 microm; 20 to 29 years-of-age was 564 +/- 29.23 microm; 30 to 39 years-of-age was 579 +/- 15.32 microm; 40 to 49 years-of-age was 546 +/- 48.29 microm; 50 to 59 years-of-age was 550 +/- 38.12 mirom; 60 to 69 years-of-age was 545 +/- 40.22 microm; 70 to 79 years-of-age was 541 +/- 34.71 microm; 80 to 89 years-of-age was 541 +/- 34.05 microm; older than 90 years-of-age was 527 +/- 46.90 microm. CONCLUSIONS: Central corneal thickness of glaucoma patients in Puerto Rico was similar to that of Hispanics in the continental United States. However, the intraocular pressure and corrected intraocular pressure of glaucoma patients in Puerto Rico were statistically higher than that of Hispanics with glaucoma in the continental United States. In our study population, central corneal thickness and intraocular pressure were not affected by gender or age.

Eye diseases in Puerto Rico.

OBJECTIVE: To report on the major causes of eye diseases leading to visual impairment and blindness in a sub-urban population in Puerto Rico. DESIGN: A population-based study of eye diseases in Puerto Ricans living in the San Juan metropolitan area of Puerto Rico. PARTICIPANTS: Nine thousand two hundred ninety-eight patients aged from 40 to 79 years-of-age from the San Juan metropolitan area. METHODS: A chart review of 9,298 patients was done. Patients carrying diagnosis such as cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), and diabetic retinopathy were evaluated. Descriptive statistics and chi square analysis were used to evaluate findings. RESULTS: 2,056 patients out of 9,298 had cataracts (22.1%); 3,963 patients (42.6%) had glaucoma; 199 patients had ARMD (2.1%); and 700 patients (7.5%) had diabetic retinopathy. The prevalence of cataracts was higher in the population study than in the Hispanic population of the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES) (p<0.001). The prevalence of glaucoma was higher in our patients than in Hispanic population studied by the LALES (p<0.0001). The prevalence of ARMD and the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was lower than expected when compared to Hispanic population of LALES study (p<0.0001 in both instances). CONCLUSIONS: In this population-based study, the prevalence of cataracts and glaucoma was higher than the results found in the Hispanic populations reported in the LALES. However, in our study, we found a lower prevalence of ARMD and diabetic retinopathy. Various factors may lead to this significant difference in the prevalence of eye diseases between the PR population and Hispanic population in the continental USA. Further studies are needed to evaluate the prevalence of eye diseases in Puerto Rico.

Color vision in patients with the Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome.

PURPOSE: To study color vision in patients with oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) METHODS: We evaluated color vision in 42 patients with OCA using the HRR color plates. Sixty seven percent of the patients had the Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS), diagnosed genetically or clinically. The remaining patients had unknown mutations leading to OCA. RESULTS: 47.6 % of patients of OCA of all types included had a color vision defect. Of these, 55% were female and 45% were male patients. 50% of patients with the HPS (all types) had a color vision deficit. 42.9% of patients with OCA of unknown type had color weakness. 57.1% had normal color vision. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that many patients with OCA and the HPS have a mild red-green color perception deficiency that is not a sex linked trait. The prevalence of color vision deficits in our study population increased with decreasing visual acuity.

Prevalence of the microbiologic flora in contact lens wearers at the Puerto Rico Medical Center

The prevalence of microbiologic flora was detemined in a convenience sample of contract lens wearers at the Puerto Rico Medical Center, ophthalmology clinics obtaining cultures from the conjunctival fornices. Gram positive bacterial prevalence was 100% in the control group, as well as in rigid gas permeable lens wearers. In the soft contact lens group, gram positive bacterial prevalence was 94.7%. On the other hand prevalence of Gram negative bacteria is null in the soft contact lens wearer population, being only 2.5% in control group, and 45.5% for Rigid Gas Permeable wearers. These contact lens wearers were using different disinfection systems

A renovaçäo do epitélio corneano / The renovation of corneal epithelium

As células do epitélio corneano sofrem constante trânsito, deslocando-se da camada basal para a superfície mum prazo de 7 dias. Estas säo removidas pelo filme corneano lacrimal e as células basais, através de mitoses, repöe constantemente esta perda. Além disso, as células basais väo sofrendo reposiçäo as custas de células da regiäo límbica num trajeto que é clinicamente visível e que apresenta a forma verticiliada ou linear. Quando houver diminuiçäo das mitoses ou excesso de perda celular, o desenho em vertex pode ser encontrado na superfície corneana

Enxerto lamelar da córnea / Lamelar graft of cornea

Existem várias indicaçöes clínicas para enxertos lamelares, principalmente quando as opacidades säo superficiais e quando o endotélio está funcionando. A remoçäo do endotélio e do epitélio doador diminue, a incidência de reaçöes imunológicas. Para preparar o leito receptor é necessário a dissecçäo de camadas do estroma. As córneas doadoras podem ser conservadas por longo tempo, inclusive anos