Bedside assessment of ophthalmic manifestations in neurocritical care: A study in Southern India.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the incidence of Ocular Surface Disorders (OSDs), including Dry Eye Disease, Chemosis, and Exposure Keratitis, among patients admitted to the Neurocritical Care Unit (NCC). Additionally, we sought to assess the correlation between these OSDs, the length of hospitalization at NCC, and the Glasgow Coma Score (GCS). The heightened risk of OSD development in the NCC environment, coupled with pre-existing neurological impairments, can lead to conditions like dry eye disease, chemosis, corneal abrasions, and infectious keratitis, ultimately resulting in corneal opacities and perforations that significantly impact visual acuity and overall quality of life. METHODS: In this observational cross-sectional study, we examined the ocular health of all patients admitted to an NCC unit from February to May 2022. We assessed the presence of Conjunctivitis, chemosis, Keratitis, and Dry Eyes in relation to the duration of stay at NCC, GCS, lagophthalmos, adherence to the prescribed eye care protocol in NCC, and the use of mechanical ventilation. Our study comprised one hundred subjects over a four-month period, with a mean age of 51.92 ± 18.73 years (ranging from 17 to 89), including 70% males and 30% females (gender ratio of 2.33). RESULTS: Our findings revealed that 26 eyes (13%) exhibited Conjunctival Hyperemia, 23 eyes (11.5%) displayed Chemosis, and severe dry eye was prevalent in 41 (20.5%) eyes. A statistically significant association was observed between GCS (p-value <0.001) and Keratitis (p-value 0.0035) with dry eyes (Chi-Square Test). Notably, the incidence of dry eyes was significantly higher among patients with a prolonged stay of ≥10 days (p-value 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Patients admitted to Neurocritical Care Units necessitate meticulous eye care and structured protocols to mitigate the risk of long-term ocular complications such as exposure keratitis. Given their heightened susceptibility to these conditions, proactive measures are imperative to ensure optimal ocular health among NCC patients.

The Management of Chemosis after Blepharoplasty.

Chemosis is a common, though typically temporary complication of both upper and lower blepharoplasty surgery, though it is much more common after the latter. It occurs due to extravasation of fluid into the subconjunctival space precipitated by desiccation, inflammation, and manipulation of the conjunctiva and associated lymphatic drainage. Intraoperatively, minimizing surgical exposure and manipulation as well as maintaining a moist ocular surface can reduce the risks. Postoperatively, we propose a stepwise approach, starting with lubricants and escalating to increasingly potent anti-inflammatories with compression bandaging and surgery reserved for persistent cases.

[Incidence and risk factors of exposure keratopathy in intensive care units: About 91 patients]. / Incidence et facteurs de risque des kératopathies d'exposition en milieu de réanimation : à propos de 91 patients.

Exposure keratopathy is a sight-threatening complication which can occur in patients admitted to intensive care units. This is a prospective study over a period of 5 months in the intensive care unit of the specialty hospital of the IBN SINA medical center, with a capacity of 8 beds. The purpose of our study was to determine the incidence of and risk factors for exposure keratopathy in intensive care settings. Forty-two percent of patients developed exposure keratopathy, 48% exhibited chemosis, and 40% showed lagophthalmos with the cornea visible in 30% of cases. The frequency of keratopathy was significantly higher in patients with chemosis and lagophthalmos (P<0.0001). Lagophthalmos was significantly related to chemosis (P<0.0001). Chemosis in the ventilated patient, also known as "ventilator eye," is a serious complication leading to the risk of keratopathy. The risk factors for keratopathy found in our series were chemosis (OR=25.28, 95% CI=[3.339-191.52] P-value=0.002), lagophthalmos (OR=40.8, 95% CI=[4.347-383.666] P-value=0.001) and length of stay in intensive care (OR=12.28, 95% CI=[1.476-102.230] P-value=0.020). Several methods might be used and adapted to each case for prevention of exposure keratopathy, and we found that raising nursing staff awareness is of paramount importance.

Prevalence and Causes of Subconjunctival Hemorrhage in Children.

OBJECTIVE: Subconjunctival hemorrhage (SCH) is a reported sign of occult abusive injury, but there are limited published data about SCH during childhood. We sought to determine the prevalence and causes of SCH in children. METHODS: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of children seen by pediatric ophthalmologists in an outpatient setting over 4 years. Primary outcomes were prevalence and causes of SCH, based on history, physical ocular and nonocular findings, and laboratory and imaging studies. Subconjunctival hemorrhage prevalence was determined including and excluding eye surgery to reduce bias in the prevalence estimate. RESULTS: We studied 33,990 children, who underwent 86,277 examinations (median age, 5 years; range, 2 days to 18 years; 9282 younger than 2 years, 13,447 age 2-7 years, 11,261 age 8-18 years). There were 949 cases of SCH (1.1%; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-1.2). When surgery was excluded, there were 313 cases (prevalence, 0.4%; 95% confidence interval, 0.3-0.4), of which 261 (83%) were due to trauma; 40 (13%) ocular surface inflammation, including infectious conjunctivitis; 7 (2%) orbital or conjunctival lesion; 3 (1%) vessel rupture from choking or cough; and 2 (1%) coagulopathy related. Across all ages, including less than 2 years, trauma and inflammation together accounted for 94% to 97% of all cases of SCH. CONCLUSIONS: Subconjunctival hemorrhage is uncommon in children. The great majority of cases are due to trauma. All children with SCH, including infants and young children, should be closely examined to identify other ocular or nonocular signs of trauma.

Supraglottic cyst in adult patient with Shabbir syndrome.

A 29-year-old male patient presented with a history of voice change and feeling of a lump in throat for the last 20 years. He was tracheostomised at the age of 10 years. Endolaryngeal examination showed a mucosal bulge in supraglottic region arising predominantly from right side. He had multiple healed scar marks on neck, arms and elbows, and had dystrophic nail changes. MRI of the neck showed a supraglottic cyst covering glottis. The patient was diagnosed as a case of laryngo-onycho-cutaneous syndrome which is also known as Shabbir syndrome. He underwent supraglottic cyst excision via transoral ultrasonic surgery. Glottic scarring along with subglottic stenosis was found intraoperatively, which was released using carbon dioxide laser and finally Montgomery (MT) tube was inserted. The patient got his tracheostomy tube removed for the first time in 20 years. He tolerated corking of MT tube. He was able to breathe through nose and phonate using false cords.

Orbital conjunctival epithelial cyst mimicking cyst with microphthalmos.

Orbitopalpebral cysts are most commonly associated with microphthalmic eyes (microphthalmos with cyst). We report a 15-year-old girl with a large orbitopalpebral cyst in the absence of associated microphthalmos. The patient presented with a massive swelling involving the left lower eyelid overhanging the left cheek and occupying much of the left orbital cavity. The globe was not visible on clinical examination. No history of trauma or surgery preceding the development of the cyst was reported by the patient or her father. Imaging showed a small eyeball displaced superiorly along the anterior part of the orbital roof. On excision of the cyst, a normal-sized globe with a cataractous lens was noted. Histopathological examination revealed the cyst to be of conjunctival origin.

Successful treatment of conjunctival lymphangiectasia accompanied by corneal dellen using a high-frequency radiowave electrosurgical device.

A 62-year-old man presented with a 1-month history of right eye pain unresponsive to artificial tears and topical steroids. At presentation, bullous yellowish fluid collection was noted in the nasal conjunctiva. Corneal thinning and opacity were observed at the 3 o'clock position of the cornea. High-frequency radiowave ablation and biopsy were performed at the affected area. Conjunctival lymphangiectasia was confirmed by excisional biopsy. An improvement in the degree of corneal dellen and chemosis was evident 1 week after ablation. Use of a high-frequency radiowave electrosurgical device may be a simple and effective treatment option for symptomatic conjunctival lymphangiectasia.

A Case of Conjunctival Ulcer and Uveitis Caused by Acrophialophora Sp. in an Immunocompromised Patient: a Case Report and Riterature Review.

We report the first case of invasive ophthalmologic infection by Acrophialophora sp. that was successfully treated using voriconazole (VRCZ). Acrophialophora spp., which has been reported to be an opportunistic pathogen, is a rare thermotolerant soil fungus, but its pathogenicity remains unclear. A 77-year-old man had neutropenia and prostate carcinoma and was receiving hemodialysis. His right eye had been infected for 2 days. His conjunctiva was congested, and it partially formed an abscess. Liposomal amphotericin B (L-AMB) was administered following systemic itraconazole. However, the treatment was changed from L-AMB to systemic VRCZ and VRCZ eye drops because his eye symptoms worsened. Subsequently, his symptoms stabilized and his vision was maintained. Acrophialophora sp. was identified by analyzing regions of internal transcribed spacer and domain 1 and 2 of the ribosomal RNA gene. He completed the 7-week systemic VRCZ course. The mean minimum inhibitory concentration of VRCZ for Acrophialophora spp. has been reported to be the lowest among various antifungal agents, and our results indicated the efficacy of VRCZ treatment for Acrophialophora sp. infection. Our results suggest that invasive Acrophialophora sp. infection may require long-term therapy. Further analysis of the clinical spectrum of Acrophialophora spp. infection and adequate treatment methods are required in the future.

Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency-Demography and Underlying Causes.

PURPOSE: To determine the demographic features of patients affected by limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD), and to identify the underlying causes of LSCD. DESIGN: Retrospective, multicenter case series. SETTING: Two large tertiary care ophthalmology hospitals. SUBJECTS: Patients with a diagnosis of LSCD presenting from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2014. METHODS: Records of patients with a clinical diagnosis of LSCD were reviewed. Demographic details and clinical features at presentation, as well as the underlying cause of LSCD (if identified), were noted. Descriptive statistical analysis and chart preparation were done. Main outcome measures were type of LSCD (unilateral or bilateral), age and sex of patients, extent of LSCD (clock hours of limbus involved), and underlying cause of LSCD. RESULTS: We found 1331 patients with LSCD in the 10-year period under study. Unilateral LSCD was more common (791 patients) than bilateral LSCD (540 patients). Out of 1331 patients, 875 (65.74%) were male. The median age of patients was 24 years. Extent of LSCD could be determined in 1849 eyes, of which 1239 eyes (67.00%) had total LSCD. The underlying cause of LSCD could be identified in 1512 eyes. In cases of unilateral LSCD, ocular surface burns was the commonest identifiable cause (83.73%). The leading identifiable causes of bilateral LSCD were ocular surface burns (29.95%), allergic conjunctivitis (29.48%), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) or toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) (23.11%), aniridia (9.43%), and mucous membrane pemphigoid (3.54%). Lime ("chuna") injury was responsible for ocular surface burns in 352 out of 567 cases in which the agent was identified (62.08%). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, unilateral LSCD was more common than bilateral LSCD. Young male subjects were commonly affected, with a majority of eyes suffering from total LSCD. Overall, ocular surface burns are the leading cause of LSCD. Unilateral and bilateral LSCD had a markedly different distribution of causes, necessitating different approaches to management.

Bilateral large subconjunctival haemorrhages unmasking immune thrombocytopenic purpura during retinopathy of prematurity screening.

Although thrombocytopenia is known to be associated with pathogenesis of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is rare in infancy and not reported to occur with ROP. A preterm infant with aggressive posterior ROP developed bilateral massive subconjunctival haemorrhage after scleral indentation during screening. On evaluation, the infant was found to have severe ITP. Following intravenous transfusion of platelets and immunoglobulin, platelet counts improved and subconjunctival haemorrhage resolved over time. This case highlights the unusual presentation of ITP and also discusses the association of thrombocytopenia with ROP. Ophthalmologists should get prompt haematological work-up of such occurrences.

Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever: ARare Cause of Acute Liver Failure.

Acute liver failure (ALF) is an acute medical emergency which carries high mortality without liver transplantation. Various hepatotropic viruses, drug induced liver injury, auto immune hepatitis, and metabolic liver diseases are the commonly implicated etiologic agents. Liver involvement in dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is quite common, but acute liver failure is its rare complication. Neurological complications are also commonly seen in DHF. Ateenage girl presented with high grade fever and subconjunctival hemorrhage, and later developed jaundice due to acute liver failure. Liver transplantation could not be offered due to fungemia. During hospital stay, she had seizures and intracranial hemorrhage culminating in brain death. ALF with neurological involvement is a rare but very important and fatal complication of DHF; and it should be considered as a cause of acute liver failure, especially in endemic areas.

Ocular surface inflammation impairs structure and function of meibomian gland.

Dysfunction of the meibomian glands alters secreted meibum quantitatively and qualitatively that can lead to damage to the ocular surface epithelium. In response to an unstable tear film cause by meibomian gland dysfunction, ocular surface epithelium is damaged and expresses inflammatory cytokines leading to secondary ocular inflammation. In turn, inflammatory disorders of the palpebral conjunctiva and lid margin may affect the structure and function of meibomian gland. The disorders include allergic conjunctivitis, long-term usage of contact lenses, dermatological diseases that affect conjunctival homeostasis, Stevens-Johnson's syndrome or chemical burning of the ocular surface and lid margin.