Efficacy and safety of intralesional triamcinolone acetonide alone and its combination with 5- fluorouracil in keloids and hypertrophic scars: Randomized, parallel group, and double blinded trial.

Background: Treatment of keloids and hypertrophic scars is challenging. The current first-line treatment is a steroid which has high resistance and recurrence rate along with unacceptable adverse effects. Different studies involving the combination of TAC and 5-FU that have been done so far showed better treatment outcomes in terms of efficacy and safety. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of intralesional triamcinolone acetonide alone and its combination with 5-fluorouracil in patients with keloids and hypertrophic scars at 12 weeks follow-up. Methods: In this randomized parallel group double-blinded clinical trial, we enroled 66 cases of keloids and hypertrophic scars randomly allocated into two treatment groups. Patients received an intralesional injection of triamcinolone acetonide (20 mg/mL) in Group A and an intralesional injection of a combination of triamcinolone acetonide (20 mg/mL) and 5-fluorouracil (25 mg/mL) in Group B for every 2 weeks until 10 weeks and the final evaluation was done at 12 weeks follow-up. Results: There was a reduction in all the parameters at every follow-up visit in both groups. The ≥50% reduction in height, reduction in the VSS and POSAS scores, and good to excellent subjective improvement reported by both the patients and the observer were significantly greater in the combination group compared to TAC alone group. The response rate was faster and complications were lesser in the combination group as compared to TAC alone group. Limitation: Single-centred, no long-term follow-up, and recurrence could not be assessed. Conclusion: TAC alone and its combination with the 5-FU both were effective in keloids and hypertrophic scars. Yet, the TAC and 5-FU combination treatment was more efficacious with a faster response rate and safer than the TAC alone treatment.

Outcomes of Fungal Corneal Ulcer with Impending Perforation after Temporary Suture Tarsorrhaphy.

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to evaluate outcomes and complications of temporary suture tarsorrhaphy (TST) in cases of impending corneal ulcer perforation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Case records of patients who underwent temporary suture tarsorrhaphy at Mechi Eye Hospital during a period of 18 months were retrospectively evaluated. All the smear positive fungal keratitis with more than 5mm infiltration involving central and/or paracentral cornea with impending corneal perforation were included. Demographic and clinical profile including - visual acuity, indication for temporary suture tarsorrhaphy, duration of signs and symptoms were noted. The outcomes were evaluated after 1 month and 3 months post tarsorrhaphy, in relation with time to epithelial healing, anatomical success rate, best corrected visual acuity, complications associated with non-healing corneal ulcer, number of temporary suture tarsorrhaphy needed and complications of TST. RESULTS: The study included 119 cases of smear positive fungal keratitis with mean age of 51.34 + 15.56 years. In this study, 56.30% of the patients developed epithelial healing at 2 - 4 weeks with mean duration of 23.24 + 12.09 days of temporary suture tarsorrhaphy. Out of 119 patients, the corneal ulcer healed in 84 patients (70.6%), whereas 35 (29.4%) did not heal. Among those with non-healing ulcers, 15 patients (12.6%) had to undergo evisceration. The anatomical success rate was 87.39% which was statistically significant (P = 0.001). Regarding visual outcome, in 62 patients (52.10%) BCVA improved by 2 or more lines, which was statistically significant (P<0.05) resulting in a functional success of 26.89%. CONCLUSION: This study concludes that temporary suture tarsorrhaphy could be a useful option for management of corneal ulcers with impending perforation in eye centers with limited resources settings and high disease burden with good anatomical and functional outcome.

Managing a Case of a Congenital Cystic Eyeball: Case Report with Review of Literature.

A congenital cystic eyeball is an extremely rare condition, with only 52 cases reported in the literature to date. An orbital cyst replaces the eyeball which occurs due to the complete or partial failure in invagination of the primary optic vesicle during the fourth week of gestation. We discuss a case of a congenital cystic eyeball in a 14-year-old female who presented to us for a cosmetic blemish due to a large swelling in the right eyelid with the absence of a right eyeball since birth. She underwent removal of the cyst followed by an orbital implant and later prosthesis. Diagnosis of the congenital cystic eyeball was made based on the clinical and ultrasound B-scan features, intraoperative findings, and histopathology report. This article adds one more case to the existing literature on the congenital cystic eyeball. Orbital implant with prosthesis after excision of the cyst provided definitive diagnosis and a good cosmetic outcome in our case.

Profile of Destructive Ocular Surgery and its Indications: A Twelve-Year Review from Eastern Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Destructive ocular surgeries are performed for many conditions ranging from trauma to tumours, where the eyes cannot be salvaged. The objective of our research was to study the profile of destructive ocular surgery and their indications. METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed all patients who underwent evisceration, enucleation, and exenteration at B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, a tertiary eye hospital in Eastern Nepal, between January 2008 and December 2019. Medical records on patient demographics, type of surgery performed, and an indication of surgery during the study period were reviewed. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-four patients underwent destructive ocular surgeries. The median age of patients undergoing surgery was 14.5 (3-50) years. Children aged ten years or less accounted for 46.3% of the total patients. Fifty-two percent were male. The left eye was affected in more than half of the cases (56.7%). Enucleation was the most performed destructive ocular surgery (76 cases, 56.7%). Intraocular and ocular adnexal malignancy was the most common overall indication (62 cases, 46.3%). Ocular infection (19 cases, 41.3%) and trauma (15 cases, 32.6%) were the most common indication of evisceration. Retinoblastoma accounted for most cases of enucleation (43 cases, 56.6%). Malignancy was the only indication of exenteration (12 cases, 100%). CONCLUSIONS: Enucleation was the most common destructive ocular surgery. Malignancy accounted for most of the cases of destructive eye surgery, followed by ocular infection. Ocular infection and trauma were the most common indication of evisceration, whereas retinoblastoma and eyelid malignancy were responsible for most of the cases of enucleation and exenteration, respectively.

Managing Recurrent Orbital Lymphangioma in a Pubertal Female with Negative Pressure Aspiration and Intralesional Bleomycin Injection: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Management of orbital lymphangioma is challenging. Complete surgical excision is often impossible due to its infiltrative nature. Sclerosing agents have been used in its management with variable outcomes. We report a case of recurrent orbital lymphangioma managed with intralesional bleomycin. CASE: A 14-year-old female presented with proptosis of the right eye for two weeks. She had a similar history at five years of age for which she underwent surgical excision. We performed negative pressure aspiration using a 20-gauge angiocatheter, injected bleomycin, and left the cannula in situ for repeat aspiration to maintain cyst collapse. OBSERVATION: The lymphangioma regressed, and there was no recurrence at six months of follow-up. CONCLUSION: This report highlights the use of negative pressure aspiration and intralesional bleomycin injection by minimal intervention using angiocatheter in the successful management of orbital lymphangioma.

Conventional versus Modified Tarso-frontalis Suspension Surgery using Targeted Lid Crease for Simple Congenital Blepharoptosis with Poor Levator Action.

INTRODUCTION: The routine technique of tarso-frontalis suspension surgery for simple congenital blepharoptosis with poor levator action is cosmetically less rewarding due to either an absence or asymmetry of the postoperative eyelid crease. The objective of this study was to assess the eyelid crease quality after a modified open method of tarso-frontalis suspension surgery compared to the closed method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective comparative study reviewing the case sheets of all the patients undergoing unilateral tarso-frontalis suspension surgery with silicon rod employing Fox pentagon design from September 2017 to February 2019 at Mechi Eye Hospital, Jhapa, Nepal. A review of 40 case sheets of congenital lid ptosis with poor levator function(<4mm) aged 9 years or more was done. Tarso-frontalis suspension surgery, modified with a mini blepharoplasty incision, direct attachment of silicon rod to tarsus, completion of pentagon design with supra-brow incisions, and skin-orbicularis-tarsus-orbicularis-skin suture (open method) was done in 20 cases whereas other 20 cases underwent surgery with supraciliary stab incisions (closed method). RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 21.1+5.9 years (range 9-30 years). The ptosis amount ranged from 3-10mm. At the 6th postoperative month, most of the cases had good ptosis correction (90% open group, 85% closed group, p=0.74). However, cosmetic outcomes were better in the open group compared to the closed group: 100% symmetrical eyelid crease compared to 40% (p<0.001) and 90% acceptance rate for eyelid contour compared to 70% (p=0.23). CONCLUSION: Predictable, targeted, and symmetrical lid crease can be obtained using the modified open method of tarso-frontalis suspension surgery.