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BACKGROUND: Diabetic eye disease is a highly prevalent and sight-threatening disorder. It is a disease of neuro-vascular unit of the retina, if left untreated can cause blindness. Therapeutic approaches followed for its treatment can only restrict the progression of the disease with highly variable results. There is no known biomarker for an early diagonsis of this disease, therefore by the time it is detected it goes beyond repair. This creates a massive demand for development of such biomarkers that help detect disease in its earlier stages. METHODS: PUBMED (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) was searched for articles relevant to the topic published till November 2023. The search was made using keywords such as Diabetic Retinopathy, inflammation, tear, biomarker, proteomics etc. The studies providing relevant information to prove the importance of biomarker discovery were chosen. After compiling the data, the manuscript writing was planned under relevant headings and sub-headings. RESULTS: The review provides a comprehensive overview of all the tear protein biomarker studies in the field of DR and DME. Briefly, their potential in other diseases is also elucidated. While there are many studies pertaining to DR biomarkers, the identified markers lack validations which has restricted their usage in clinics. In case of DME, there was no such study towards biomarker discovery for its diagnosis and prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: The review highlights major studies and their lacunae in the field of biomarkers discovery for DR and DME.
Subject(s)
Biomarkers , Diabetic Retinopathy , Early Diagnosis , Eye Proteins , Macular Edema , Tears , Humans , Diabetic Retinopathy/diagnosis , Diabetic Retinopathy/metabolism , Biomarkers/metabolism , Prognosis , Eye Proteins/metabolism , Macular Edema/diagnosis , Macular Edema/metabolism , Tears/metabolismABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Post-operative vision impairment is common among patients who have undergone cataract surgery in low-resource settings, impacting quality of clinical outcomes and patient experience. This prospective, multisite, single-armed, pragmatic validation study aimed to assess whether receiving tailored recommendations via the free Better Operative Outcomes Software Tool (BOOST) app improved surgical outcomes, as quantified by post-operative unaided distance visual acuity (UVA) measured 1-3 days after surgery. METHODS: During the baseline data collection round, surgeons in low and middle-income countries recorded clinical characteristics of 60 consecutive cataract cases in BOOST. Additional data on the causes of poor outcomes from 20 consecutive cases with post-operative UVA of <6/60 (4-12 weeks post-surgery) were entered to automatically generate tailored recommendations for improvement, before 60 additional consecutive cases were recorded during the follow-up study round. Average UVA was compared between cases recorded in the baseline study round and those recorded during follow-up. RESULTS: Among 4,233 cataract surgeries performed by 41 surgeons in 18 countries, only 2,002 (47.3%) had post-operative UVA 6/12 or better. Among the 14 surgeons (34.1%) who completed both rounds of the study (1,680 cases total), there was no clinically significant improvement in post-operative average UVA (logMAR units ±SD) between baseline (0.50 ± 0.37) and follow-up (0.47 ± 0.36) rounds (mean improvement 0.03, p = 0.486). CONCLUSIONS: Receiving BOOST-generated recommendations did not result in improved UVA beyond what could be expected from prospective monitoring of surgical outcomes alone. Additional research is required to assess whether targeted support to implement changes could potentiate the uptake of app-generated recommendations and improve outcomes.
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PURPOSE: Microbial keratitis is a sight-threatening condition with a higher incidence in agrarian populations. In countries with a high indigent population, due to financial and other constraints, patients prefer to seek therapy locally rather than travel to advanced centres. The aim of this study is to describe the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of 60 consecutive patients with microbial keratitis managed at a rural centre. METHODS: Descriptive case series. All patients clinically diagnosed with infectious keratitis were included. Corneal scrapings were obtained and microbiological identification was done by Gram stain. Anti-microbial therapy was commenced based on smear findings and the patients were followed up till disease resolution. RESULTS: Sixty eyes of 60 patients were diagnosed with microbial keratitis in the study period. The mean age was 47.43 ± 18.69 years. Male:female ratio was 47:53. Risk factors included ocular trauma in the majority of patients (46/60; 76.7%). Microorganisms were identified on 75.6% of smears, with fungal filaments (65.4%) being the most common. Ulcers were central in over half (32/60; 53.3%), and > 3 mm in diameter in over three-fourths (81.6%) of patients. Forty-four patients (73.3%) achieved treatment success whereas 16/60 (26.6%) required referral to our tertiary-eye care facility for management. The median time to resolution was 14 days (IQR 10-26 days). CONCLUSION: Our series demonstrates the feasibility of microbiology-guided therapy in microbial keratitis by ophthalmologists at the secondary rural eye-care level. Two-thirds of the patients could be successfully managed at the rural centre and only severe cases needed a referral to tertiary centres.
Subject(s)
Eye Infections, Bacterial , Rural Population , Humans , Male , Female , Middle Aged , Adult , Eye Infections, Bacterial/epidemiology , Eye Infections, Bacterial/microbiology , Eye Infections, Bacterial/diagnosis , Eye Infections, Bacterial/therapy , Aged , India/epidemiology , Rural Population/statistics & numerical data , Keratitis/epidemiology , Keratitis/microbiology , Keratitis/diagnosis , Young Adult , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Adolescent , Corneal Ulcer/microbiology , Corneal Ulcer/epidemiology , Corneal Ulcer/diagnosis , Corneal Ulcer/drug therapy , Corneal Ulcer/therapy , Incidence , Eye Infections, Fungal/epidemiology , Eye Infections, Fungal/microbiology , Eye Infections, Fungal/diagnosis , Eye Infections, Fungal/therapy , Eye Infections, Fungal/drug therapy , Risk Factors , Bacteria/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the environmental and economic impact of teleophthalmological services provided by a primary (rural) and tertiary (urban) eyecare network in India. METHODS: This prospective study utilised a random sampling method, and administered an environmental and economic impact assessment questionnaire. The study included 324 (primary: 173; tertiary: 151) patients who received teleconsultations from July to September 2022. The primary network (rural) used a colour-coded triage system (Green: eye conditions managed by teleconsult alone; yellow: semi-urgent referral within 1 week to a month, red: urgent referral within a day to a week). The tertiary network (urban) included new and follow-up patients. The environmental impact was assessed by estimating the potential CO2 emissions saved by avoiding travel for various transport modes. Economic impact measured by the potential cost savings from direct (travel) and indirect (food and wages lost) expenses spent by yellow and red referrals (primary) and the first-visit expenses of follow-up (tertiary) patients. RESULTS: The primary rural network saved 2.89 kg CO2/person and 80 km/person. The tertiary urban network saved 176.6 kg CO2/person and 1666 km/person. The potential cost savings on travel expenses were INR 19,970 (USD 250) for the primary (average: INR 370 (USD 4.6) per patient) and INR 758,870 (USD 9486) for the tertiary network (average: INR 8339 (USD 104) per patient). Indirect cost savings (food and wages) were of INR 29,100 (USD 364) for the primary and INR 347,800 (USD 4347) for the tertiary network. CONCLUSION: Teleophthalmology offers substantial environmental and economic benefits in rural and urban eyecare systems.
Subject(s)
Ophthalmology , Telemedicine , Humans , India , Prospective Studies , Telemedicine/economics , Ophthalmology/economics , Male , Female , Eye Diseases/economics , Eye Diseases/therapy , Adult , Primary Health Care/economics , Middle Aged , Tertiary Healthcare/economics , Surveys and Questionnaires , Referral and Consultation/economicsABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This study aimed to report the strategies that evolved in managing Mooren's ulcer (MU) at a resource-limited center in rural India during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: This study includes a retrospective analysis of clinically diagnosed MU cases from January 2021 to August 2021 wherein strategies for management were developed. The demographic profile, ulcer clinical features, treatment algorithms (medical and surgical), complications encountered, referral to a higher center, and compliance with medication and follow-up were studied. RESULTS: The mean age of presentation was 68.1 years (range, 62-73 years), and 90% were men. The median best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 1.26 logarithm of the Minimum Angle of Resolution (LogMAR) (interquartile range (IQR), 0.00-5 logMAR) in the affected eye on presentation, which improved to 0.69 logMAR (IQR, 0.00-3 logMAR) at resolution ( P = 0.442). The first-line management was conjunctival resection and tissue adhesive application (90%). 70% of cases were unilateral, 50% of cases had less than 2 clock hours of involvement, and 50% had less than 50% stromal involvement. Confounding factors included infectious keratitis (2) and corneal perforation (3). The mean duration of follow-up was 96 (1-240) days. The average follow-up visits per patient were 8.8 (1-22). 90% of cases could be managed successfully at the secondary center level with two cases needing a tertiary care referral. CONCLUSION: MU can be managed effectively by following a systemic strategy of early diagnosis, surgical therapy, and rapid institution of systemic immunosuppression in a remote location-based secondary center. The strategies developed can be a guide for ophthalmologists at remote centers managing patients or who are unable to travel to tertiary institutes.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Corneal Ulcer , Male , Humans , Middle Aged , Aged , Female , Pandemics , Retrospective Studies , Ulcer , COVID-19/epidemiology , Corneal Ulcer/diagnosis , Corneal Ulcer/epidemiology , Corneal Ulcer/therapyABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors, microbiology, and treatment outcomes of polymicrobial keratitis (PMK). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 65 patients diagnosed with PMK between 2016 and 2019. The clinical and microbiological characteristics and outcomes were evaluated. The primary outcome measure was clinical resolution of keratitis. Absolute success (group A) was defined as resolution of infection with medical treatment, qualified success (group B) was resolution with medical therapy and additional minor procedures, and failure (group C) was defined as worsening of infection and presence of corneal melting or perforation requiring therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty or evisceration. RESULTS: Of 4764 cases of microbial keratitis, PMK was identified in 65 eyes of 65 patients (1.36%). Infiltrate was central in 60% (39 eyes). Predisposing factors were higher in group C and included uncontrolled diabetes mellitus in 25% (7/28), history of trauma/foreign body in 57.1% (16/28), and poor presenting visual acuity (0.9 for group A vs. 1.79 for group B vs. 3.00 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution for group C; P = 0.02). Microbiological profiling revealed that a majority (95%: 62/65) had bacterial with fungal keratitis. High fluoroquinolone resistance was noted (57%; 34/59). Absolute success was achieved in 28.3% (17/60), qualified success in 16.6% (10/60), and treatment failure was noted in 55% (33/60). The final best corrected visual acuity in group A was significantly better than that in group B and C (0.44 vs. 3.00 vs. 2.78; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: PMK is extremely rare but responds poorly to medical therapy. Bacterial with fungal etiology is predominant. Early surgical intervention to improve overall outcome is advocated.
Subject(s)
Corneal Ulcer , Eye Infections, Bacterial , Eye Infections, Fungal , Keratitis , Humans , Retrospective Studies , Eye Infections, Bacterial/diagnosis , Eye Infections, Bacterial/drug therapy , Keratitis/diagnosis , Keratitis/drug therapy , Keratitis/microbiology , Corneal Ulcer/diagnosis , Corneal Ulcer/drug therapy , Bacteria , Keratoplasty, Penetrating , Treatment Outcome , Eye Infections, Fungal/diagnosis , Eye Infections, Fungal/drug therapy , Eye Infections, Fungal/microbiologyABSTRACT
Background: In low-and-middle income countries, corneal abrasions and ulcers are common and not always well managed. Previous studies showed better clinical outcomes with early presentation and treatment of minor abrasions, however, there have been no formal studies estimating the financial impact of early treatment of abrasions and ulcers compared to delayed treatment. Methods: We used the LV Prasad Eye Institute's (LVPEI's) electronic health record system (eyeSmart) to estimate the impact of early presentation on clinical outcomes associated with abrasions and ulcers. 861 patients with corneal abrasion and 1821 patients with corneal ulcers were studied retrospectively, and 134 patients with corneal abrasion prospectively. A health economic model was constructed based on LVPEI cost data for a range of patient scenarios (from early presentation with abrasion to late presentation with ulcer). Findings: Our findings suggest that delayed presentation of corneal abrasion results in poor clinical and economic outcomes due to increased risk of ulceration requiring more extensive surgical management, increasing associated costs to patients and the healthcare system. However, excellent results at low cost can be achieved by treatment of patients with early presentation of abrasions at village level health care centres. Interpretation: Treatment of early minor corneal abrasions, particularly using local delivery of treatment, is effective clinically and economically. Future investment in making patients aware of the need to react promptly to corneal abrasions by accessing local healthcare resources (coupled with a campaign to prevent ulcerations occurring) will continue to improve clinical outcomes for patients at low cost and avoid complex and more expensive treatment to preserve sight. Funding: This research was funded by the Medical Research Council, grant MR/S004688/1.
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Flap displacement is a rare but vision-threatening complication of laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). A young male patient underwent uneventful microkeratome-assisted LASIK. One-week postoperatively, flap displacement was noted in his right eye with its lower edge folded inwards, macrostria at the superior edge and the epithelium covering the bare stroma and into the interface. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) delineated the morphology of the displaced flap and the extent of epithelial ingrowth. The flap was repositioned by unrolling the fold and all the exposed surfaces were debrided to remove the epithelial ingrowth. Two months later, his corrected distance visual acuity improved to 20/30, and a smooth surface could be achieved. Infolded LASIK flap is a rare complication, which requires timely surgical intervention to achieve successful anatomical and functional outcomes. AS-OCT can be pivotal in determining the extent of infolding as well to delineate the extent of epithelial ingrowth within the interface.
Subject(s)
Joint Dislocations , Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ , Humans , Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ/adverse effects , Male , Postoperative Complications/diagnostic imaging , Postoperative Complications/surgery , Postoperative Period , Surgical Flaps , Tomography, Optical Coherence/methods , Visual AcuityABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To estimate seeing and other disabilities in a population cohort in a tribal district, Rayagada, in the Indian state of Orissa. METHODS: A door-to-door survey was conducted to identify the disabilities. The vision was measured at the residence of the subject, and other disabilities were documented from the history obtained from the subject/household/neighbor. All people with seeing disabilities were reexamined in the community eye center (primary or secondary), and required treatment was given at no cost to the patients. People with other disabilities were transported to the public health facility for appropriate care and disability certification. The results were compared with the 2011 national census data. RESULTS: A total of 147,699 people were enumerated, and 106,339 (72%) were examined over one year period, 2016-17. In this cohort, 47.3% (n = 50,320) were male and 27.5% (n = 29,215) were 40 years or older. We recorded systemic disease in 0.6% (n = 689) people; hypertension was two times higher than diabetes mellitus. Disability was identified in 2.8% (n = 3022). Common disabilities were seeing (46.7%; n = 1411), hearing (36.8%; n = 1112), mobility (10.4%; n = 315), and mental retardation (3.2%; n = 98). Dual sensory disability (seeing and hearing) was seen in 6.4% (n = 251), and it was higher in the older age group. Seeing and hearing disabilities were higher than the 2011 state (P =< 0.001) and national (P =< 0.001) disability census. CONCLUSION: The first population-based survey in Rayagada, Odisha (India) in 2017 showed a higher proportion of people with seeing and hearing disabilities. It calls for an appropriate service strategy.
Subject(s)
Disabled Persons , Eye Diseases , Aged , Health Surveys , Humans , India/epidemiology , Male , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to report on the feasibility of setting up a system of corneal transplants at rural outreach centers and report the outcomes of the first 111 cases. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the outcomes of corneal transplantation performed on patients with optical indications between March 2016 and September 2019 at 4 secondary (rural) centers. The centers are a part of a network in the pyramidal model developed by L V Prasad Eye Institute. The graft clarity and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 1-year follow-up were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 111 patients, 34.23% underwent penetrating keratoplasty and 65.77% endothelial keratoplasty. The mean age was 59.4 ± 15.0 (range-17-86 years); 47.75% were men and 52.25% were women. The indications for surgery were bullous keratopathy (54.05%), corneal scar/adherent leukoma (23.42%), and repeat grafts (13.51%). At the end of 1 year, 69.37% grafts remained clear. Factors associated with graft failure included poor socioeconomic status and graft infiltrate in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Surgical technique of endothelial keratoplasty was associated with failure on multivariate analysis only. Of the 77 eyes with clear corneal grafts at 1 year, the preoperative mean logMAR BCVA was 1.91 ± 0.06, which improved to 0.90 ± 0.08 postoperatively. Overall, 84.4% had preoperative BCVA of <3/60. Postoperatively, 40% had BCVA of 6/18 or better. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that close to 70% grafts remained clear at 1 year. Graft failure was associated with poor socioeconomic status and graft infiltrates. This study established a viable model for delivery of corneal transplant surgery and care in a rural setup.
Subject(s)
Corneal Diseases/surgery , Corneal Transplantation/methods , Graft Rejection/epidemiology , Rural Health Services/statistics & numerical data , Visual Acuity , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Feasibility Studies , Female , Graft Survival , Humans , Incidence , India/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective Studies , Treatment Outcome , Young AdultABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To report the pattern of noninfectious scleritis across a tertiary eye-care network. METHODS: A three-year retrospective review of patients diagnosed with noninfectious scleritis was performed. Data were retrieved using diagnostic terms assigned to scleritis through the in-house eyeSmart-electronic medical record system. RESULTS: 1103 patients, with a mean age of 44.33 ± 14.38 years and a median follow-up of 199.5 days (range 32-685) were enrolled. Unilateral disease was noted in 85%. Diffuse anterior scleritis (n = 542, 42.51%) and nodular scleritis (n = 482, 38.12%) were the commonest subtypes. Systemic immune disease association was present in 65 (5.89%). Treatment at onset was topical corticosteroids (n = 372, 36.54%) followed by oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (n = 351, 34.45%), oral corticosteroids in 184 (19.04%), and immunomodulators in 32 patients (3.54%). CONCLUSIONS: This study depicts the pattern of various noninfectious scleritis in a large cohort of patients. The present study helped to further customize the electronic medical records to minimize several data capture limitations.
Subject(s)
Electronic Health Records , Scleritis , Adult , Humans , Middle Aged , Scleritis/diagnosisABSTRACT
AIMS: To report the global uptake of simple limbal epithelial transplantation (SLET) and compare the economic, clinical and social outcomes of SLET with those of cultured limbal epithelial transplantation (CLET). METHODS: A comprehensive literature review and an online survey of eye surgeons were conducted to understand the efficacy and current uptake of SLET surgery. A de novo economic model was developed to estimate the cost savings with SLET compared with CLET. Our economic analysis is conducted from an Indian perspective, as this is where the technique originated. A scenario analysis using the UK cost data and a user-friendly Excel model is included to allow users to input the costs from their setting to estimate the cost savings with using SLET compared with using CLET RESULTS: The anatomical success with SLET in adults (72.6% (range 62%-80%)) was the same as CLET (70.4% (range 68%-80.9%)). For children, the outcome for SLET (77.8% (range 73%-83%)) was better than with CLET (44.5% (range 43%-45%)). In response to our informal questionnaire, 99 surgeons reported to have performed SLET on 1174 patients in total. They appreciated that SLET negates the requirement for costly tissue engineering facilities. Results of economic analysis suggested that SLET provided an estimated cost-savings of US$6470.88 for adults and US$6673.10 for children. In broad terms, the cost of SLET is approximately 10% of the cost of CLET for adults and 8% for children. CONCLUSION: SLET offers a more accessible and financially attractive alternative to CLET to treat limbal stem cell deficiency.
Subject(s)
Corneal Diseases , Epithelium, Corneal , Limbus Corneae , Scleral Diseases , Adult , Child , Corneal Diseases/surgery , Humans , Limbus Corneae/surgery , Social Change , Stem Cell Transplantation/methods , Transplantation, AutologousABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To describe the clinical profile of patients with ocular Calotropis poisoning presenting to a multitier ophthalmology hospital network in India. METHODS: This cross-sectional hospital-based study included 2,047,360 new patients presenting between August 2010 and March 2020. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of Calotropis poisoning in at least one eye were included. The data were collected using an electronic medical record system. Descriptive statistics using mean ± standard deviation and median with inter-quartile range (IQR) were used to elucidate the demographic data. Chi-square test was done for univariate analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 362 (0.018%) new patients were diagnosed with ocular Calotropis poisoning during the study period. The mean age of the patients was 44.10 ± 18.61 years. The incidence rates were 0.013% in children and 0.018% in adults. Males were 57.46% and 87.29% had unilateral affliction. A significant number of patients presented from the rural geography (59.67%) and were from the higher socioeconomic class (72.65%). About a fourth of the patients were homemakers (23.48%) followed by agriculture workers (18.23%). Of the 408 affected eyes, 49.26% had mild visual impairment (<20/70) followed by moderate visual impairment (>20/70 to ≤ 20/200) in 23.28%. The most common clinical signs were conjunctival congestion (61.03%), descemet membrane folds (57.35%), stromal edema (30.39%), and corneal epithelial defect (24.51%). CONCLUSION: Calotropis poisoning in individuals seeking eye care in India is very rare. It is commonly unilateral and occurs more in the rural geography. It is common in middle-aged males and may affect vision due to involvement of the cornea.
Subject(s)
Calotropis , Adult , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , Incidence , India/epidemiology , Middle Aged , Visual AcuityABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of trypan blue in direct microscopic examination of corneal scrapings in the diagnosis of non-viral microbial keratitis. METHODS: In a prospective, interventional, masked study, 82 consecutive patients were investigated. Direct microscopic examination of the corneal scrapings involved three smears stained with potassium hydroxide with calcofluor white (KOH + CFW), Gram stain (not analyzed), and trypan blue stain and culture for bacteria, fungus, and Acanthamoeba. While KOH + CFW stained slides were examined under a fluorescence microscope, trypan blue-stained slides were examined by two microbiologists (masked to KOH + CFW and culture results) under normal light microscopy. Thirty samples were reexamined for interobserver and intraobserver variability. RESULTS: Out of 82 samples, fungal/fungus-like elements were seen in 48 (58.5%) in KOH + CFW and 38 (46.3%) in trypan blue stain. One microsporidial case, detected in KOH + CFW was negative in trypan blue stain (culture not done). Fungal growth was positive in 23 out of 81 (28.3%) cases cultured, single bacterial species in 18 (22.2%), Pythium insidiosum in three, mixed bacteria and fungus/Pythium in 7 (8.6%), Acanthamoeba in none and 30 (37.0%) samples were sterile. With culture as gold standard, the respective sensitivity (84.9%, 75.7%) and specificity (90.9%, 68.2%) of KOH + CFW stain and trypan blue stain were comparable (p = 0.16, P = 0.06). The interobserver linear weighted kappa score between the two microbiologists was 1.00 while it was 0.86 for intraobserver agreement. CONCLUSION: Trypan blue stain, an easily available dye to ophthalmologists, is highly efficacious in the diagnosis of fungal keratitis.
Subject(s)
Keratitis , Trypan Blue , Benzenesulfonates , Cornea , Humans , Hydroxides , Keratitis/diagnosis , Microscopy, Fluorescence , Potassium Compounds , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
PURPOSE: There is a considerable lack of awareness of slit-lamp measurement of anterior chamber depth (ACD) by the Redmond Smith method (SACD) in present day-to-day clinical practice, which may provide rapid assessment in pseudoexfoliation (PXF) when assessing for angle closure and planning for cataract surgery. This assumes importance not only in outreach clinics but also in the ongoing pandemic caused by the highly contagious novel coronavirus, where social distancing is advocated to contain the spread. We aimed to compare the axial ACD in PXF and normal patients by SACD, and its agreement with the anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT) and LenstarLS-900. METHODS: A prospective comparative observational study was done at a tertiary eye care hospital. A PXF group and a normal group of controls were recruited. All eyes were phakic with normal cornea. Any eye with previous intraocular/refractive surgery and cause of other secondary or uncontrolled glaucoma was excluded. SACD was measured clinically via slit-lamp method and also via ASOCT and Lenstar; agreement between the methodologies was plotted. RESULTS: Fifty patients were recruited in each group. Mean age was 66.82 ± 4.88 years in PXF patients and 65 ± 5.46 years in controls (P = 0.2). ACD was found to be greater in controls compared with the PXF patients; this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001) across all methodologies. A good agreement with narrow 95% limits of agreement was found between these methodologies. CONCLUSION: Redmond Smith slit-lamp methodology of estimating the axial ACD is recommended as a rapid, quantifiable, noncontact screening technique during routine examination, especially in primary outreach centers, and is also advantageous during the ongoing pandemic by reducing expendable investigations.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Tomography, Optical Coherence , Aged , Anterior Chamber/diagnostic imaging , Humans , Middle Aged , Prospective Studies , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
Purpose: To measure the proportion of people with major ophthalmic and retinal disorders in the tribal and non-tribal people presenting to a community eye hospital in an Indian state with a sizeable tribal population. Methods: Hospital-based cross-sectional retrospective study of all new adult patients, examined between September 2015 and June 2020. A tribal was defined as per the Indian ethnic classification. Blindness and visual impairment were defined as per the WHO standards. Diabetes and hypertension were defined as per Indian standards. The proportion of common ophthalmic and retinal disorders between the tribal and non-tribal community were compared. Results: This cohort consisted of 76,166 people (45.8%; n = 34,869, tribal); 39.4% (n = 29,989; non-tribal 23.6% and tribal 15.8%) people had ophthalmic disorders. In the examined people 2.3% were blind (higher in tribal community 4.7% versus 0.8%; P < 0.001) and 8.4% had moderate-to-severe visual impairment (higher in tribal community 14.4% versus 4.4%; P < 0.001). Refractive error (64.4%; higher in non-tribal community, 77.3% versus 44.6%, P < 0.001) and operable cataract (23.9%; higher in tribal community, 40.9% versus 11.8%, P < 0.001) were the principal ophthalmic disorders. Retinal disorders were higher in non-tribal people (5.9% vs. 2.9%; P < 0.001), but the tribal group had higher proportion of retinitis pigmentosa (20% vs. 6.4%; P < 0.001) and lower proportion of diabetic retinopathy (8% vs. 40.7%; P < 0.001). Conclusion: : The health-seeking behavior of the tribal community in India is low. A tribal person in India apparently visits the hospital when vision is grossly affected. It calls for greater advocacy, increased access to healthcare, and a larger population-based study.
Subject(s)
Eye Diseases , Hospitals, Community , Adult , Aged , Blindness/diagnosis , Blindness/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , India/epidemiology , Prevalence , Retrospective Studies , Visual AcuityABSTRACT
We report a rare presentation of xerophthalmia due to partial pancreatic exocrine insufficiency following Frey's surgery (pancreatic resection) in a 12-year-old girl. The child had undergone this surgery for chronic calcific pancreatitis 3 years before and presented with ocular irritation and decreased vision of 3 months duration. Ocular examination showed severe conjunctival and corneal xerosis. Her serum retinol levels and 25-hydroxyvitamin D were tested and were extremely low. The condition rapidly reversed following high-dose replacement therapy with vitamin A and D. This case highlights the importance of continuous enzyme replacement therapy as well as dietary modification and nutritional supplement therapy and monitoring of ocular symptoms in post-pancreatic surgery.
Subject(s)
Pancreatitis, Chronic , Vitamin A Deficiency , Xerophthalmia , Child , Female , Humans , Pancreatectomy , Pancreatitis, Chronic/complications , Pancreatitis, Chronic/surgery , Treatment Outcome , Vitamin A , Vitamin A Deficiency/complications , Vitamin A Deficiency/drug therapy , Xerophthalmia/etiologyABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to report 3 cases of microbial keratitis, wherein trypan blue staining was used to aid the microbiological diagnosis of fungal keratitis and Pythium keratitis in a rural setup. METHODS: Three consecutive patients who presented with a diagnosis of infectious keratitis underwent corneal scraping, and the smears were assessed using trypan blue stain and potassium hydroxide (KOH) mount. RESULTS: Of the 3 cases, the first 2 cases showed septate fungal filaments in trypan blue-stained preparation and KOH mount. Case 3 showed the presence of broad aseptate filaments with ribbon-like folds on both KOH mount and trypan blue stain, consistent with the diagnosis of Pythium keratitis. The first 2 cases improved with topical and systemic antifungals. Case 1 healed with scarring at 7 weeks with improvement in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) to 20/60. Case 2 healed within 2 weeks, and BCVA improved to 20/40. Case 3 received topical linezolid (0.2%), azithromycin eye ointment, and oral azithromycin. At 5 weeks the infection decreased but thinning was noted, which necessitated tissue adhesive and bandage contact lens application. Scarring was noted at 10 weeks, and BCVA improved to 20/40. CONCLUSIONS: In this case series, trypan blue staining showed promising results in the easy identification of aseptate and septate fungal elements. This is the first case series showing the utility of this stain in the management of microbial keratitis.