Subconjunctival hemorrhage and vision loss after regional ocular anesthesia.

PURPOSE: To report two cases of retinal vascular occlusion and associated subconjunctival hemorrhage in needle optic nerve injury during local bulbar anesthesia. METHODS: Surgical records of these two subjects who presented with acute vision loss after cataract extraction were studied, and systemic workup and ocular imaging were carried out to establish the cause. RESULTS: Computerized tomography showed evidence of optic nerve injury. CONCLUSION: Subconjunctival hemorrhage could be an associated clinical finding in hypodermic needle injury-related retinal vascular occlusion during ocular anesthesia.

Salmonella Typhi Associated Endogenous Endophthalmitis: A Case Report and a Review of Literature.

AIM: To report a rare case of Salmonella typhi associated endogenous endophthalmitis in an immunocompetent male and to review the available literature. METHODS: Retrospective chart review. RESULTS: A 28-year-old immunocompetent male presented with a 3-day-old history of pain, redness and diminished vision in his left eye. Conjunctival chemosis, corneal haze, and hypopyon were noted and yellowish exudates filled the vitreous cavity. A detailed elicitation of history revealed that patient had been treated for enteric fever that presented with diarrhea and fever, two weeks prior to current presentation. Blood and vitreous cultures grew Gram negative bacilli, identified as S. typhi. Despite intensive intravitreal and systemic antibiotic therapy, an evisceration had to be performed. CONCLUSIONS: Endogenous endophthalmitis can be one of the rare sequelae of enteric fever and may present in the acute and relapsing phases and often times have a rapidly fulminant course with poor visual outcomes.

Choroidal neovascular membrane in paediatric patients: clinical characteristics and outcomes.

PURPOSE: To analyse the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of choroidal neovascular membranes (CNVM) in paediatric subjects at three paediatric retina referral centres. METHODS: Medical charts of patients aged 18 years or less with a diagnosis of CNVM were retrospectively reviewed. The demographic profile, laterality, presenting complaint, corrected vision, underlying pathology, fundus, fundus fluorescein angiogram and optical coherence tomogram (OCT) were analysed. CNVM type, frequency, treatment indications, recurrences and final visual acuity were noted. RESULTS: There were a total of 35 subjects (43 eyes) with a mean age of 11.2 years. The CNVMs were mostly type 2 (90.0%), classic (90.9%), subfoveal (59.09%) and active (84.1%). Best vitelliform macular dystrophy was found to be the most common association (32.5%). Intravitreal injection of an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agent was the initial therapy of choice in all. Eyes with CNVMs responsive to anti-VEGF alone required a mean of 2.11 injections. Patients with recurrent disease (21.21%) had an average of 1.14 episodes per eye. While 50% of recurrent CNVMs stabilised with repeat anti-VEGF treatment, the remaining patients required photodynamic therapy, laser or surgery. CONCLUSION: Paediatric CNVMs in this series differed from those in the adult population with regard to aetiology, OCT and angiographic characteristics, treatment response and rate of recurrence.

Choriovitreal ingrowth of a large choroidal vessel after scatter retinal photocoagulation.

Choriovitreal ingrowth of a large choroidal vessel is a known complication of intense focal retinal laser photocoagulation. With a standard grey-white burn in panretinal photocoagulation where the power density used is low, such an invasion is rarely reported. We came across the complication in a clinical scenario where a patient with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and associated ocular ischemic syndrome developed the neovascular ingrowth after scatter retinal photocoagulation.

Posterior scleritis with retinal pigment epithelium rip: an unusual presentation.

Posterior scleritis is a great mimicker and can cause irreversible visual loss because of late or misdiagnosis. We report a case of retinal pigment epithelial rip in the event of nodular posterior scleritis that is hardly reported in the literature. The authors hypothesize the rip to be a result of inflammation, exudation and continuing pressure by the fluid or granuloma on the pigment epithelium.

Factors influencing polymerase chain reaction outcomes in patients with clinically suspected ocular tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay can be a useful method for definitive diagnosis in paucibacillary infections such as ocular tuberculosis (TB). In this study, we have evaluated factors affecting PCR outcomes in patients with clinically suspected ocular TB. Patients with clinically suspected ocular TB were investigated by PCR of aqueous or vitreous samples. Three control groups were also tested: group 1 included culture-proven non-tuberculous endophthalmitis, group 2 culture-negative non-tuberculous endophthalmitis, and group 3 patients undergoing surgery for uncomplicated cataract. PCR targeted one or more of following targets: IS6110, MPB64, and protein b genes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Multiple regression analysis (5% level of significance) was done to evaluate the associations between positive PCR outcome and laterality of disease, tuberculin skin test (TST)/interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA), chest radiography, and type of sample (aqueous or vitreous). The main outcome measures were positive PCR by one or more gene targets, and factors influencing positive PCR outcomes. RESULTS: All 114 samples were tested for MPB64, 110 for protein b, and 88 for IS6110. MPB64 was positive in 70.2% (n = 80) of tested samples, protein b in 40.0% (n = 44), and IS6110 in only 9.1% (n = 8). DNA sequencing of amplicons from four randomly chosen PCR reactions showed homology for M. tuberculosis complex. Of the 80 PCR-positive patients, 71 completed a full course of antitubercular therapy, of which 65 patients (91.5%) had complete resolution of inflammation at final follow-up. Among controls, 12.5% (3 out of 24) in group 1 and 18.7% (6 out of 32) in group 2 also tested positive by PCR. No PCR-positive outcome was observed in control group 3 (n = 25). Multiple regression analysis revealed significant association of positive PCR outcome with bilateral presentation, but not with a positive TST/IGRA, chest radiography, or type of sample (aqueous/vitreous) used. CONCLUSIONS: Careful selection of gene targets can yield high PCR positivity in clinically suspected ocular TB. Bilateral disease presentation but not any evidence of latent systemic TB influences PCR outcomes. False-positive results may be seen in ocular inflammation unrelated to ocular TB.

Degree, duration, and causes of visual impairment in eyes affected with ocular tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Ocular tuberculosis (TB) can affect nearly every ocular tissue, leading to a variety of vision-threatening clinical manifestations. The goal of this study is to estimate the degree, duration, and causes of visual impairment in eyes affected by ocular TB. RESULTS: This was a retrospective study of patients diagnosed as ocular TB based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. We applied the World Health Organization definition of visual impairment (VI) to affected eye(s), instead of better-seeing eye. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of <6/18 and ≥6/60 in the affected eye was classified as moderate VI and <6/60 and ≥3/60 as severe VI. Data collected included presenting and final BCVA of affected eyes and the worst BCVA during the study period. Sixty-one eyes of 40 patients were analyzed. Twenty-five patients (52.1%) had bilateral disease. The mean worst BCVA and mean final BCVA (logMAR) were 1.26 ± 0.87 and 0.61 ± 0.85, respectively, and their difference was highly significant (p < 0.0001, Friedman test). The median worst and final BCVA results were 1.30 (range 0.0 to 3.0) and 0.20 (range 0.0 to 3.0), respectively. The mean duration of follow-up was 98.34 ± 81.81 weeks. Moderate and severe VIs were seen in 14 (22.9%) and 12 (19.7%) eyes, respectively, during the course of follow up. Twenty eyes (32.8%) had BCVA of <3/60. Moderate VI or worse was most commonly seen in eyes with multifocal serpiginoid choroiditis (n = 6; 100%), retinal vasculitis (n = 25; 80.6%), and panuveitis (n = 12; 80%). The mean duration of visual loss was 25.2 ± 42.37 weeks (median 6.43 weeks, range 0 to 206.42 weeks). Vitreous hemorrhage, complicated cataract, and macular scarring were the common causes of VI. CONCLUSION: Ocular TB can result in prolonged visual impairment, more commonly in patients with posterior uveitis or panuveitis.