Factors and outcomes associated with corneal edema and Haabs striae in primary congenital glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To identify specific factors and outcomes associated with corneal edema and Haabs striae in primary congenital glaucoma (PCG). METHODS: The medical records of patients with PCG from 2011 to 2023 with >3 months' follow-up were reviewed retrospectively. Preoperative details and final outcomes were compared between eyes with and without corneal findings. The right eye of bilateral cases and the affected eye in unilateral cases were included. RESULTS: A total of 58 patients (104 eyes, 69% male) underwent initial angle surgery at an average age of 297 ± 368 (median, 134) days. Corneal edema and Haabs striae were present preoperatively in 72 (69%) eyes of 41 patients and 68 (65%) eyes of 39 patients, respectively. Patients with corneal edema presented at a younger age (P < 0.0001) and with shorter axial length (P = 0.01) than those without edema. Univariate analysis showed that corneal edema was associated with worse visual acuity at final follow-up (OR = 4.4; 95% CI, 1.2-25.3). Patients with Haabs striae were older than those without striae (P = 0.04). After angle surgery, corneal edema was present at 1 month in 71% (95% CI, 52-84), at 2 months in 26% (95% CI, 12-42), at 3 months in 16% (95% CI, 6-30), and at 1 year in 3% (95% CI, 0-13). Corneal opacification did not resolve in 4 eyes of 3 patients after >4 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: In our study cohort, corneal edema resolved in the majority of PCG cases within 2-3 months of initial angle surgery but was associated with younger age at presentation and worse visual acuity at final follow-up.

[Painful anisocoria in a five-year-old child: A rare diagnosis which must not be missed]. / Anisocorie douloureuse chez un enfant de cinq ans : un diagnostic rare à ne pas méconnaître.

Congenital ectropion uveae (CEU) is a rare anomaly of the embryonic development of the anterior segment of the eye. We report the case of a 5-year-old child with an undiagnosed CEU who was treated urgently for an acute angle closure attack. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 5-year-old child was referred urgently for evaluation of anisocoria with mydriasis of the right eye and severe headache. Brain imaging with contrast injection was initially performed in the pediatric emergency department and ruled out central nervous system pathology. The initial examination of the right eye revealed an intraocular pressure (IOP) of 37mmHg, corneal edema, congenital ectropion uveae, mydriasis with pupillary block, a closed angle on gonioscopy, and a clear lens. The examination of the left eye was unremarkable, with no visible CEU. The initial management consisted of medical treatment with topical glaucoma drops and miotics and acetazolamide at 10mg/kg/d. Re-evaluation under general anesthesia showed persistent mydriasis and no resolution of the pupillary block. Filtering surgery was performed in the absence of a complete response to medical treatment, allowing control of IOP without drops and complete regression of the corneal edema. DISCUSSION: CEU is a rare malformation, and pressure complications represent an insignificant proportion of pediatric glaucoma cases. The acute presentation of acute angle closure in this potentially blinding short-term setting, however, makes detection and management difficult in very young children in a great deal of pain. Only one similar case has been reported in the pediatric literature. CONCLUSION: Acute angle closure complicating CEU is exceptional and difficult to diagnose in a pediatric context. Parents of children with this predisposing condition should be informed of the need to consult urgently when clinical signs of elevated intraocular pressure appear.

Retrospective study of postoperative intraocular pressure and complications in phacoemulsification combined with endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation and phacoemulsification alone in dogs.

BACKGROUND: Long-term comparative data of phacoemulsification combined with endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (phaco-ECP) versus phacoemulsification (phaco) alone in dogs are rare. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of ECP on postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) and complications after phaco in dogs with normal IOP. METHODS: Medical records of IOP, conjunctival hyperemia, corneal edema, aqueous flare, posterior synechia, intraocular fibrin, and posterior capsule opacification (PCO) formation in 15 canine eyes that underwent phaco-ECP and 36 eyes that underwent phaco alone were evaluated retrospectively. ECP was applied when either the iridocorneal angle or the ciliary cleft was narrow or closed. RESULTS: The IOP of the phaco-ECP group persisted within the normal range postoperatively. The phaco-ECP group had a shorter period of dorzolamide use than did the phaco group. PCO was formed earlier in the phaco-ECP group than in the phaco group. The phaco-ECP group showed more severe corneal edema than the phaco group at every follow-up visit. Posterior synechia was more severe in the phaco-ECP group than in the phaco group from two weeks until the last follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Although ECP might cause more postoperative complications such as corneal edema and posterior synechia, it could effectively reduce the incidence of IOP increase after phaco in dogs with a high risk of postoperative glaucoma.

Regular and irregular astigmatism of bullous keratopathy using Fourier harmonic analysis with anterior segment optical coherence tomography.

Bullous keratopathy (BK) is known to present with corneal edema and Descemet's folds, which can cause corneal astigmatism. However, no report quantitatively evaluated BK astigmatism by separating it into regular and irregular astigmatism. This study investigated the regular and irregular astigmatism of the anterior and posterior corneal surface with Fourier harmonic analysis and anterior segment optical coherence tomography. Preoperative data from 43 eyes of 41 BK patients who received corneal endothelial transplantation were compared with the data from 43 eyes of 43 subjects without corneal disease. Anterior and posterior cylinder power, central corneal thickness (CCT) and thinnest corneal thickness were significantly greater in BK. With Fourier harmonic analysis, BK eyes were found to have significantly larger anterior and posterior regular astigmatism, asymmetry component and higher-order irregularity. Asymmetry component and higher-order irregularity that accounted for the posterior irregular astigmatism increased as CCT increased in BK. Higher-order irregularity in the posterior cornea also positively correlated with worsening best corrected visual acuity. Subgroup analysis found significant correlations between CCT and posterior higher-order irregularity for intraocular surgery and laser iridotomy, but not Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy. This study has significance in that it revealed the characteristics of the corneal posterior irregular astigmatism of BK.

Corneal Edema and Keratoplasty: Risk Factors in Eyes With Previous Glaucoma Drainage Devices.

PURPOSE: To assess risk factors contributing to corneal decompensation following glaucoma drainage device (GDD) implantation. DESIGN: Retrospective case control study. METHODS: Records of 1610 eyes that underwent GDD implantation between June 1, 2009, and April 1, 2020, at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute were reviewed. Seventy-nine eyes (5%) developed corneal decompensation, of which 46 underwent keratoplasty. These 79 cases were matched with 220 controls. Cox proportional hazard models with robust standard error estimates to account for clustering at the matched-pair level were used to assess risk factors for corneal decompensation. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis analyzed time to corneal decompensation. RESULTS: The mean (SD) age of cases and controls was 68 (12.3) and 60.5 (15.9) years, respectively. The mean time from GDD implantation to corneal decompensation was 32 months, and the cumulative probability of developing decompensation at 3, 6, and 9 years was 4.7%, 9.2%, and 14.8%, respectively. Final visual outcomes in cases were worse, with a final mean ± SD visual acuity (logMAR) of 1.96±1.25 relative to a mean±SD visual acuity of 1.11±1.36 in controls (P < .001). In the multivariable model, significant risk factors for corneal decompensation were increased age (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] 1.39, 95% CI 1.18, 1.63; P ≤ .001), history of Fuchs dystrophy or iridocorneal endothelial syndrome (AHR 9.18, 95% CI 5.35, 15.74; P ≤ .001), and postoperative complications such as hypotony (AHR 3.25, 95% CI 1.85, 5.72; P ≤ .001) and tube-cornea touch (AHR 6.37, 95% CI 3.77, 10.75; P ≤ .001). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of postoperative corneal decompensation is persistent over time. Patients receiving GDDs, particularly those with advanced age, preexisting corneal pathology, and postoperative complications, should be counseled regarding their increased risk for corneal decompensation.

Complicaciones posoperatorias inmediatas en pacientes diabéticos tipo 2 operados de catarata por la técnica de facochop / Immediate postoperative complications in type 2 diabetic patients undergoing phaco chop cataract surgery

Objetivo: Describir la posible presencia de complicaciones posoperatorias en pacientes diabéticos tipo 2, operados de catarata por la técnica de facochop. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo, y longitudinal prospectivo, con 128 pacientes diabéticos (168 ojos) operados de catarata en el Centro de Microcirugía Ocular del Instituto Cubano de Oftalmología "Ramón Pando Ferrer", entre septiembre del año 2017 y diciembre de 2018. Las variables clínicas y epidemiológicas objeto del estudio fueron la edad, el sexo, el color de la piel, la queratometría, la profundidad de la cámara, la longitud axial, la dureza del cristalino, la presión intraocular pre- y posoperatoria y las complicaciones posoperatorias en las primeras 72 horas. Resultados: En el estudio predominaron las mujeres (63,3 por ciento), de piel blanca (74,2 por ciento), quienes presentaron ojos biométricamente normales, con una diferencia estadísticamente significativa. La presión intraocular aumentó a las 24 horas de la cirugía. De los 128 pacientes diabéticos tipo 2 operados de catarata senil por la técnica de facochop, se pudo determinar que el promedio y la desviación estándar de la edad se ubicaron en los 69,49 ± 8,96 años, y osciló entre los 50 y 88 años. Conclusiones: Las complicaciones posoperatorias más frecuentes son el edema corneal y la uveítis. Es significativamente más probable encontrar la uveítis posquirúrgica en pacientes menores de 70 años, y el edema corneal en quienes sobrepasan esta edad(AU)

Objective: Describe the possible presence of postoperative complications in type 2 diabetic patients undergoing phaco chop cataract surgery. Methods: An observational prospective longitudinal descriptive study was conducted of 128 diabetic patients (168 eyes) undergoing cataract surgery at the Center for Ocular Microsurgery of Ramón Pando Ferrer Cuban Institute of Ophthalmology from September 2017 to December 2018. The clinical and epidemiological variables analyzed were age, sex, skin color, keratometry, chamber depth, axial length, crystalline hardness, pre- and postoperative intraocular pressure, and postoperative complications in the first 72 hours. Results: A predominance was found of women (63.3 percent) of white skin color (74.2 percent) and biometrically normal eyes, with a statistically significant difference. Intraocular pressure rose 24 hours after surgery. Mean age and standard deviation were 69.49 ± 8.96 years, range of 50-88 years, in the 128 type 2 diabetic patients undergoing senile cataract surgery by the phaco chop technique. Conclusions: The most common postoperative complications are corneal edema and uveitis. It is significantly more probable to find postsurgical uveitis in patients aged under 70 years and corneal edema in patients aged over 70 years(AU)

Hypoxia adaptation in the cornea: Current animal models and underlying mechanisms.

The cornea is an avascular, transparent tissue that is essential for visual function. Any disturbance to the corneal transparency will result in a severe vision loss. Due to the avascular nature, the cornea acquires most of the oxygen supply directly or indirectly from the atmosphere. Corneal tissue hypoxia has been noticed to influence the structure and function of the cornea for decades. The etiology of hypoxia of the cornea is distinct from the rest of the body, mainly due to the separation of cornea from the atmosphere, such as prolonged contact lens wearing or closed eyes. Corneal hypoxia can also be found in corneal inflammation and injury when a higher oxygen requirement exceeds the oxygen supply. Systemic hypoxic state during lung diseases or high altitude also leads to corneal hypoxia when a second oxygen consumption route from aqueous humor gets blocked. Hypoxia affects the cornea in multiple aspects, including disturbance of the epithelium barrier function, corneal edema due to endothelial dysfunction and metabolism changes in the stroma, and thinning of corneal stroma. Cornea has also evolved mechanisms to adapt to the hypoxic state initiated by the activation of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF). The aim of this review is to introduce the pathology of cornea under hypoxia and the mechanism of hypoxia adaptation, to discuss the current animal models used in this field, and future research directions.

"Descemet Membrane Detachment": A Novel Concept in Diagnosis and Classification.

PURPOSE: To examine the optical coherence tomography (OCT) and histologic features of Descemet membrane detachment (DMD) to ascertain the involvement of the pre-Descemet layer (PDL). DESIGN: Retrospective, observational case series. METHODS: Clinical, histopathologic, and OCT features of a cohort of 41 cases with diagnosis of DMD from 4 centers were studied. OCT images were evaluated independently by 3 observers for number of detached layers (1 or 2), reflectivity, configuration (straight line or wavy), distance from posterior stroma, and presence or absence of a tear with any scrolling of the torn edges. Five had a histology specimen. The main outcome measure was the involvement of the PDL in DMD and its confirmation by histology. RESULTS: Three types of DMD were identified: type 1, where the PDL and DM were detached together; type 2, where only the DM was detached; and mixed, where the PDL and DM were detached but also separated from each other. These were further found to be rhegmatogenous or nonrhegmatogenous depending on the presence of absence of a tear in DM or both layers. Histology confirmed involvement of PDL in all 5 cases and showed it to be infiltrated by cells in 3 of 5 cases. CONCLUSIONS: The PDL is involved in DMD. This fact significantly changes our understanding of DMD and could have implications for management. The detached PDL can be infiltrated with cells. A prospective study in relation to etiology and types of DMD is needed.

A New Surgical Approach for the Management of Acute Corneal Hydrops Complicated With Corneal Perforation.

PURPOSE: To report an unusual case of a patient with keratoconus and acute hydrops complicated with corneal perforation and describe its management using a new surgical approach. METHODS: A case report and new surgical approach description. RESULTS: A 47-year-old female patient with a history of keratoconus and implantable contact lens surgery presented at our institute with symptoms of acute corneal hydrops in her right eye. On examination, best corrected visual acuity was of counting fingers in the involved eye. Slit-lamp examination revealed a small inferotemporal corneal perforation, surrounded by marked corneal edema and a positive Seidel test. Initial attempts of conservative treatment with cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive application and bandage soft contact lens placement were ineffective. We decided to proceed with an inferior, lamellar wedge resection of the diseased corneal tissue. One month postoperatively, the cornea remained clear, whereas best corrected visual acuity was 0.1. CONCLUSIONS: Lamellar wedge resection could represent an alternative surgical approach for keratoconic patients, with eccentric acute hydrops and subsequent corneal perforation that provides rapid visual rehabilitation.

Toric intraocular lens in asymmetric astigmatism.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to report our results of toric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in patients with asymmetric astigmatism, its efficacy and safety in reducing the refractive cylinder. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study. Patients with asymmetric astigmatism and non-progressive corneal ectasia, unable to fit hard contact lenses, with poor-corrected visual acuity or unsatisfactory spectacles-corrected visual acuity, underwent cataract surgery with toric IOL implantation. The choice of lens was individually after optical biometry examination. All surgeries were performed by a single surgeon, with a 2.75-mm clear cornea self-sealing incision at 130° axis, from December 2008 to December 2015. RESULTS: We evaluated 88 eyes of 69 patients with asymmetric astigmatism: primary, secondary to leucoma, post-radial keratectomy, post-lamellar or penetrating keratoplasty, post-LASIK, post-PRK and due to pterygium. Snellen best-corrected spectacles visual acuity increased from 0.39 ± 0.23 preoperative to 0.80 ± 0.23 postoperative. The average refractive cylinder reduced from 2.32 ± 1.78 D preoperatively to 0.87 ± 1.09 D after surgery (P < .001). Sixty-three eyes out of 88 (71%) had residual refractive cylinder ≤ 1.0 D. CONCLUSION: The favorable efficacy on visual acuity outcomes we have found suggests that toric IOL can be used in cases of asymmetric astigmatism, in order to provide better-corrected vision, less spectacles dependence and an improved quality of vision overall, which is especially important in contact lenses intolerant patients.

Mini-Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty for the Early Treatment of Acute Corneal Hydrops in Keratoconus.

PURPOSE: To describe a new surgical option for the treatment of acute corneal hydrops in keratoconus and to present the first results. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of 3 patients who presented to our clinic with a massive corneal hydrops in acute keratoconus and were treated by mini-Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK). According to the size and the shape of the gap in the patient's Descemet membrane (DM), 1 DMEK graft was trephined with a round 5-mm punch. The other grafts were trimmed with a razor blade to a width of about 3 mm and a length adjusted to the length of the defect of the recipients' DM. The graft was inserted with a regular intraocular lens shooter. Correct unfolding of the graft was controlled by using intraoperative optical coherence tomography. At the end of the surgery, the graft was attached to the posterior corneal surface by a small air bubble. Thereafter, the complete anterior chamber was filled with 20% SF6 gas. RESULTS: All 3 patients (age 32 ± 3 years on average) showed a rapid increase in uncorrected visual acuity from the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (LogMAR) 1.66 (±0.46) before mini-DMEK to the LogMAR 1.2 (±0.3) within 6 to 8 weeks after mini-DMEK. The thickest corneal point within the edematous cornea decreased in all 3 patients (1088 ± 280 µm before surgery vs. 630 ± 38 µm 1 week after surgery). One mini-DMEK failed in a first attempt. In this patient, the recipient DM was under strong tension and showed a pronounced dehiscence. Therefore, a small part of the recipient's DM around the preexisting gap in DM was removed before a second mini-DMEK graft was placed successfully. The other 2 patients developed partial graft detachment within 1 to 2 weeks after surgery. However, the corneas of these patients were dehydrated to physiological levels after mini-DMEK, and despite partial detachment, there was no relapse of the hydrops. CONCLUSIONS: Mini-DMEK could be helpful in patients with larger defects and detachments of DM in very ectatic corneas in the acute phase of corneal hydrops in acute keratoconus. These patients may not be successfully treated by intracameral gas application alone or in combination with pre-Descemetal sutures. Further investigations are needed to identify factors helping to decide on the best surgical approach in hydrops in acute keratoconus.

Functional Evaluation of Two Corneal Endothelial Cell-Based Therapies: Tissue-Engineered Construct and Cell Injection.

Restoration of vision due to corneal blindness from corneal endothelial dysfunction can be achieved via a corneal transplantation. However, global shortage of donor tissues has driven the development cell-based therapeutics. With the capacity to propagate regulatory compliant human corneal endothelial cells (CEnCs), this study evaluated the functionality of propagated CEnCs delivered via tissue-engineered endothelial keratoplasty (TE-EK) or corneal endothelial cell injection (CE-CI) within a rabbit model of bullous keratopathy. For animals with TE-EK grafts, central corneal thickness (CCT) increased to >1000 µm post-operatively. Gradual thinning with improvements in corneal clarity was observed from week 1. CCT at week 3 was 484.3 ± 73.7 µm. In rabbits with CE-CI, corneal clarity was maintained throughout, and CCT at week 3 was 582.5 ± 171.5 µm. Control corneas remained significantly edematous throughout the study period compared to their respective experimental groups (p < 0.05). Characterization of excised corneas showed a monolayer with heterogeneously shaped CEnCs in both TE-EK and CE-CI groups. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated reactivity to anti-human specific nuclei antibody attributing corneal recovery to the functional human CEnCs. This study showed that regulatory compliant cell-based therapy for corneal endothelial dysfunction can be delivered by both TE-EK and CE-CI, and holds great promise as an alternative to traditional corneal transplantation.

Peripheral Pneumatic Dissection and Scar Peeling to Complete Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty in Eyes With Healed Hydrops.

PURPOSE: To describe a surgical technique to achieve the desired plane during deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) in eyes with Descemet membrane (DM) tears due to previous hydrops. METHODS: This was a prospective, consecutive, interventional case series of DALK in 12 keratoconic eyes with healed hydrops. Dissection of the peripheral cornea was performed by air injection and using the microbubble incision technique as a guide to the clear predescemetic stroma. The central posterior scar was then removed by peeling to bare DM. RESULTS: DALK was successfully completed in all eyes, with DM tears ranging from a microperforation to approximately 4 mm. At 12 months, the mean logMAR best-corrected visual acuity was 0.38 ± 0.07, the mean keratometric astigmatism was 5.2 ± 1.9 diopters, and the mean endothelial cell density was 2364 ± 316.9 cells/mm. CONCLUSIONS: Peripheral pneumatic dissection and central scar peeling technique is a useful technique to complete DALK in eyes with scars due to previous hydrops.

Performing Reliable Lens Capsulotomy in the Presence of Corneal Edema With a Femtosecond Laser.

Purpose: To determine the effects of the Ziemer LDV Z8 liquid interface femtosecond laser platform during capsulotomy under different energy settings in the presence of corneal edema. Methods: Cadaveric porcine eyes (n = 36) employed at less than 6 and greater than 24 post enucleation hours to simulate clear/edematous corneas, underwent capsulotomy with the Ziemer LDV Z8 femtosecond laser (5-mm diameter, energy 90%, 130%, or 150%). Lens capsules were removed for evaluation by scanning electron microscopy and rupture strengths determined by the single column universal testing system. Following ethical approval, 23 patients had lens capsules removed during routine cataract surgery following manual or Z8 capsulotomy and subjected to TUNEL assay. Results: There was no difference in edge morphology or rupture strength (120, 113, and 118 mN at increasing energy, P = 0.42) in the clear cornea. Only 50% of capsulotomies succeeded at 90% energy in an edematous cornea, improving with increased energy (75% completion at 130%, 100% at 150%). Rupture strength in edematous corneas was not significantly different at 112, 133, and 114 mN for 90%, 130%, and 150%, respectively (P = 0.3). In human samples, increased TUNEL-positive cells were seen at 130% energy, but not at 150% (0.0 manual vs. 0.2 [90%] vs. 2.1 [130%] vs. 0.6 [150%], P < 0.05). Conclusions: Because of the low energy delivered by a femtosecond nanojoule platform, even incremental increases in energy appeared to have minimal effect on lens capsule morphology and strength and negligible influence on cell death. Furthermore, increasing energy appeared to enhance consistency and the ability to complete a capsulotomy in an edematous cornea.

To show the efficacy of compressive sutures alone in the management of acute hydrops in a keratoconus patient.

A 17-year-old boy presented with sudden loss of vision in the left eye (OS) for 3 days. He was diagnosed with acute hydrops following keratoconic progression in OS. The patient was initially started on topical medical therapy, including steroids and hypertonic eye drops; showing no signs of resolution. Hence, the patient was planned for full-thickness compressive corneal sutures. Four sutures were placed along the central oedematous area covering the area of ruptured Descemet's membrane. Signs of resolution were noticed by 1st week and there was complete resolution of oedema by 3rd post-op week. Sutures were removed by 7th postoperative week/45th day. The patient was doing fine with visual acuity of 6/60 in the last visit with no symptoms of discomfort and no signs of corneal vascularisation. Full-thickness corneal compressive sutures is an effective alternative in cases of acute hydrops if perfluoropropane gas is not available.