Endogenous Exophiala dermatitidis endophthalmitis.

PURPOSE: To report a case of endogenous Exophiala dermatitidis endophthalmitis. OBSERVATIONS: An immunosuppressed patient with a history of hairy cell leukemia undergoing chemotherapy presents with rapidly progressing panophthalmitis. The patient was treated medically without improvement and underwent a pars plana vitrectomy which showed multiple retinal abscesses. Vitreous fluid cultures grew a rare fungal organism, Exophiala dermatitidis. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: This is the first reported case of E. dermatitidis causing endogenous endophthalmitis. Rare fungal organisms can present with rapid progression to panophthalmitis in immunocompromised hosts.

Preventing Postoperative Atypical Mycobacterial Infection.

PURPOSE: To report a recent outbreak of atypical mycobacterial infection following upper eyelid surgery and the results of a prevention protocol that was successfully instituted to dramatically reduce the infection rate. METHODS: This is a multicenter retrospective nonrandomized comparative interventional case series. A chart review of 7 patients who developed atypical mycobacterium infection after undergoing blepharoplasty was conducted. Preventative intervention included exchanging ice compresses for reusable gel packs and substituting tap water with bottled or distilled water for facial cleaning during postoperative care. The main outcome measure was disease incidence. RESULTS: Of the 368 patients who underwent upper eyelid blepharoplasty and/or blepharoptosis repair from December 2014 to May 2015, 7 people developed cutaneous atypical mycobacterium infection with an incidence of 1.9%. Eighty-six percent of patients received clarithromycin as part of their treatment with average treatment length of 2.8 months. Debridement was performed in 71% of the patients. Biopsy was performed in all patients, and all had histopathology showing granulomatous inflammation. A prevention protocol was developed to reduce potential inoculation in the immediate postoperative period, which successfully reduced the infection rate from 1.9% to 0.06% (p = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Atypical mycobacterium infection, although rare, should be considered as a possible diagnosis in a blepharoplasty patient with delayed development of nodular lesions. Long-term clarithromycin therapy and debridement have shown good outcomes for these patients; however, the best treatment for any infection is prevention. This study provides the first evidence based approach within the ophthalmic literature for reducing the mycobacterium infection rate in blepharoplasty patients.

Recurrence of Acute Macular Neuroretinopathy.

A 31-year-old female with a 2-month history of a central scotoma was diagnosed with acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMNR). Her symptoms resolved spontaneously, only to recur 2 years later with progressively worsening visual field deficits that did not improve with a trial of oral prednisone. The authors report a case of AMNR that is distinguished from other reports by its recurrence in the same eye after complete resolution of the first episode. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2018;49:962-968.].

A Rare Ocular Presentation of Metastatic Lung Cancer: Unilateral Anterior Chamber Angle, Bilateral Choroidal, and Multiple Intracranial Metastases.

A 64-year-old man who presented with photopsia was found to have elevated intraocular pressure in one eye and optic disc swelling in the other eye. He was initially diagnosed with neurocysticercosis and later metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. The purpose of this paper is to report a rare case of bilateral glare as the first sign of diffusely metastatic cancer and to raise clinical suspicion for systemic malignancy in the presence of multiple ocular manifestations.

Nontraumatic orbital roof encephalocele.

Intraorbital meningoencephaloceles occur most commonly as a complication of traumatic orbital roof fractures. Nontraumatic congenital orbital meningoncephaloceles are very rare, with most secondary to destructive processes affecting the orbit and primary skull defects. Treatment for intraorbital meningoencephaloceles is surgical repair, involving the excision of herniated brain parenchyma and meninges and reconstruction of the osseous defect. Most congenital lesions present in infancy with obvious globe and orbital deformities; we report an orbital meningoencephalocele in a 3-year-old girl who presented with ptosis.

Ocular manifestations of TASER-induced trauma.

A young adult male experienced penetrating globe injury due to a Thomas A. Swift Electric Rifle (TASER). Despite successful repair of the globe, the damage was profound. This case report explores the complex ways in which mechanical and electrical forces from a TASER may impact the structural integrity and the neurosensory structures of the eye.