Fate of Abstracts Presented at the Saudi Ophthalmology Society Conferences 2015-2018.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to determine the publication rates of abstracts presented at the annual Saudi Ophthalmology Society (SOS) Conferences from 2015 to 2018. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study on abstracts collected from the scientific programs for the SOS meetings from 2015 to 2018. Titles and first authors' names were used in the search process on PubMed. A Chi-square test was conducted to compare between the categorical variables. Kruskal-Wallis test was used for nonnormally distributed variables. RESULTS: A total of 365 abstracts were presented in the SOS Conferences from 2015 to 2018. In the SOS meetings (2015-2018), the publication rate was 45.7%. Seventy-two (43.1%) of the published abstracts were published in journals with an impact factor. The mean impact factor was 1.4 ± 1.9. The median time to publication was 12.0 months (range: 0-60 months). On univariate analysis, basic science (P < 0.001), abstracts on rare diseases (P = 0.003), affiliation with eye hospitals (P < 0.001), and public hospitals (0.007) were associated with a higher publication rate. On multivariate analysis, basic science studies (odds ratio [OR]: 4.23, confidence interval [CI]: 1.77-10.12, P = 0.001), rare topic-related abstracts (OR: 2.03, CI: 1.22-3.38, P = 0.007), and eye center affiliation (OR: 1.67, CI: 1.03-2.68, P = 0.036) were associated with a better publication rate. The factors associated with publication in high impact factor journals were oral abstracts (P = 0.007) and noncase report abstracts (P = 0.023). CONCLUSION: Basic science studies, rare topic-related abstracts, and first author affiliation with an eye center were all associated with a higher publication rate. Orally presented and noncase report abstracts increased the chance of publication in higher impact factor journals.

Retained Presumed Intraocular Cotton Fiber after Implantable Collemer Lens Implantation: A Case Report.

Retained intraocular foreign body is a known complication of ophthalmic surgery. The presence of intraocular cotton fibers after ophthalmic surgery is well-documented in different procedures including cataract and vitreoretinal surgeries. This report describes a case of retained cotton fiber after implantable collamer lens (ICL) implantation. This report describes a case of a 23-year-old female who was diagnosed with high myopia and mild astigmatism. The patient was selected to undergo ICL implantation in her right eye. The postoperative examination was done a few hours after the procedure, and a cotton fiber was incidentally found to be attached to the posterior surface of the ICL without causing visual disturbances or any other abnormal findings. This patient was followed up closely within the 2 postoperative weeks, and a 1-year follow-up did not reveal any change in the cotton fiber place or position, nor was there any other complication. In conclusion, cotton fibers are typically inert and usually do not lead to major complications. The decision of whether to surgically remove these fibers or not should only be made after weighing the benefits against the risks of such intervention. Recurrent inflammatory reactions or iridocyclitis related to the presence of cotton fibers could validate surgical intervention; however, the presence of cotton fibers solely does not necessitate early surgical removal.

Central Serous Chorioretinopathy Associated with Tadalafil.

We report a case of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) associated with tadalafil, a phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor medication. In this report, we describe a case of a 59-year-old male who presented with blurred vision in the right eye. On examination, he was noted to have serous macular, pigment epithelial detachments, and increased choroidal thickness. The diagnosis of CSCR was made, and the patient was asked to stop the offending agent. Three months after stopping tadalafil, the patient's visual symptoms and subretinal fluid resolved. In conclusion, prescribing physicians should be aware of tadalafil's ability to decrease vision and cause CSCR. The addition of CSCR to the list of tadalafil's side effects should also be considered.

Characteristics and recurrence of pterygium in Saudi Arabia: a single center study with a long follow-up.

BACKGROUND: This study described the clinical features of patients with pterygium and analyzed the recurrence rate of conjunctival autografting alone, conjunctival autografting combined with intraoperative mitomycin C, and amniotic membrane grafting. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of primary pterygium was conducted between January 2017 and February 2020. Factors associated with pterygium severity and recurrence were analyzed by univariate analysis and logistic regression models. RESULTS: The study included 292 patients with an average age of 53.3 ± 14.1 years, while the number of operated cases was 94. Pterygia involving the cornea were observed in 55 % of the cases. The overall rate of recurrence for the three procedures was 17 %. The average time of recurrence was 14.2 ± 11.9 months, with 37 % of the recurrences occurring after the first year. The only factor associated with a significant risk of recurrence was dry eye disease in both univariate (p = 0.021) and multivariate analysis (p = 0.026). The recurrence rates following conjunctival autografting with and without mitomycin C were 15.6 and 15.8 %, respectively. The recurrence rate following the amniotic membrane graft was  twofold (OR= 2.02)  (27 %) that following the conjunctival autograft (15.8 %). CONCLUSIONS: The only factor associated with the recurrence of pterygium was dry eye disease. More than one-third of recurrences developed after the first year, which stresses the importance of a long follow-up. The recurrence rate in our study following conjunctival graft was slightly higher compared to the literature mainly due to differences in study areas, populations, and follow-up periods.