Management of acute corneal hydrops - Current perspectives.

Acute corneal hydrops (ACH) is a rare but sight-threatening complication of corneal ectasias. We aim to review the current literature on etiopathogenesis, histology, role of ancillary investigations, management, and outcomes of ACH by classifying the various management strategies based on their site of action and the underlying mechanism. A review of the literature was conducted by searching the following databases: PubMed (United States National Library of Medicine), Embase (Reed Elsevier Properties SA), Web of Science (Thomson Reuters), and Scopus (Elsevier BV) till April 2023. The literature search used various combinations of the following keywords: acute corneal hydrops, keratoconus, ectasia, management, keratoplasty. Nine hundred eighty-three articles were identified based on the above searches. Case reports which did not add any new modality of treatment to the existing literature, articles unrelated to management, those with no full text available, and foreign-language articles with no translation available were excluded. Eventually, 75 relevant articles that pertained to the management of ACH were shortlisted and reviewed. Recent studies have described newer surgical interventions like full-thickness or pre-Descemetic sutures, thermokeratoplasty, and plasma injection that aim to close the posterior stromal break. Posterior lamellar keratoplasties act by replacing the posterior torn Descemet's membrane (DM), and early deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) has been attempted to combine the correction of the anatomical defect and visual rehabilitation in a single surgery. These surgical interventions may help by reducing the scarring and increasing the number of patients who can be visually rehabilitated with contact lenses rather than keratoplasty.

Management and prevention of corneal graft rejection.

The management of an episode of corneal graft rejection (CGR) is primarily by corticosteroids. Immunomodulators are useful for long-term immunosuppression and in dealing with cases of high-risk (HR) corneal grafts. The classical signs of CGR following penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) include rejection line, anterior chamber (AC) reaction, and graft edema. However, these signs may be absent or subtle in cases of endothelial keratoplasty (EK). Prevention of an episode of graft rejection is of utmost importance as it can reduce the need for donor cornea significantly. In our previous article (IJO_2866_22), we had discussed about the immunopathogenesis of CGR. In this review article, we aim to discuss the various clinical aspects and management of CGR.

Connective tissue disorders and eye: A review and recent updates.

Collagen vascular disorders (CVDs), also known as connective tissue diseases (CTDs), are a heterogeneous group of entities that affect the connective tissues and are capable of causing end-organ damage to multiple systems, primarily cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal. However, the occurrence and severity are highly variable among patients. Ocular involvement occurs in a significant number of these disorders and may precede the onset of other extraocular features, thereby serving as an important marker in the diagnosis of these diseases. A timely and accurate diagnosis enables the management of complications. CTDs are primarily immune-mediated inflammatory diseases; however, classifications have encompassed heritable disorders affecting collagen-containing structures and disorders of vascular development. A review of literature published until 25 January 2022 and collected from various databases using the relevant keywords was conducted. All publications (original articles, review articles, as well as case reports) describing the ocular features in CTDs were studied in detail. The objective of this review is to recognize the common ophthalmic presentations of various autoimmune and heritable CTDs, distinguish them from overlapping diseases, elaborate on the prognosis and management of these varied eye presentations, and deliberate on their impact on other ophthalmic surgeries.

A review of techniques and outcomes of endothelial keratoplasty in congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy.

Congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy affects the Descemet membrane and endothelium, resulting in corneal decompensation. Penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) has been the gold-standard surgical management until recently; however, at present, endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK/DSAEK/n-DSEK: Descemet-stripping or non-Descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty and DMEK/n-DMEK: Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty) is being preferred due to lesser intraoperative and postoperative complications, early visual recovery, and comparable visual outcomes. Endothelial keratoplasty (EK) can be challenging, especially in pediatric eyes with CHED due to smaller eyeballs, shallow anterior chambers, phakic status, and poor intraoperative visibility due to thick and hazy corneas. A total of 198 articles matched our search strategy. After screening for duplication and going through the titles and abstracts, 12 relevant original articles, one case series, and six case reports were included in this review. Various surgical modifications have to be adopted in comparison to adult eyes to overcome the aforementioned difficulties. Regardless, studies have shown favorable visual outcomes with better graft survival and fewer complications in eyes that underwent EK compared to PKP. Hence, timely surgical intervention and strict amblyopia management can result in better final visual outcomes. The purpose of this review is to summarize various intraoperative difficulties and the surgical modifications required, different surgical techniques, visual and graft-related outcomes, and various complications of EK in CHED eyes.

Modified Contact Lens Sandwich Technique of Glue for Management of Medium to Large Corneal Perforations in the COVID Era.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this article is to describe a novel technique of gluing as an interim measure to provide tectonic support in cases of medium-sized to large-sized (3-6 mm) corneal perforations. Five eyes of five patients in which conventional cyanoacrylate glue application was not feasible, and therapeutic keratoplasty could not be performed in view of the unavailability of corneal tissues were included. Surgery to maintain integrity of the globe was performed, and a therapeutic keratoplasty was performed on tissue availability (mean interval of 7.4 days). On follow-up, all patients had a well-formed anterior chamber, and none of them had progression. The contact lens sandwich technique of glue was a feasible, reproducible, and economical technique during times of tissue unavailability such as the present COVID pandemic, in patients with medium to large perforated corneal ulcers.

Clinical profile and prevalence of conjunctivitis in mild COVID-19 patients in a tertiary care COVID-19 hospital: A retrospective cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: To find the clinical profile and prevalence of conjunctivitis and other ocular manifestations in mild COVID-19 positive patients in a nodal COVID-19 hospital. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional, single-center study conducted in 127 mild cases of COVID-19 positive patients admitted between 27th March and 19th April 2020 in a tertiary care COVID-19 hospital in north India. From the hospital records, demographic data is collected. Ocular history and ocular examinations were done by face-to-face survey during ward rounds. RESULTS: A total of 127 patients were included in the study with a median age of 38.8 years. Forty-eight (37.80%) patients had upper respiratory tract symptoms, 20 (15.75%) patients had systemic illness, 18 (14.17%) patients were using spectacles, and 50 (39.37%) patients had history of hand-eye contact. Out of 12 (9.45%) patients who had ocular complaints, 11 (8.66%) had ocular manifestation after admission. Among 11 patients, eight (6.29%) had conjunctival congestion. Three (3/8) patients had developed conjunctival congestion even before the manifestation of definite COVID-19 symptoms. Five patients (5/8) patients had no other associated ocular symptoms other than congestion. Six patients (6/8) had symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection. CONCLUSION: Mild conjunctivitis manifesting as conjunctival congestion is common and is one of the major ocular manifestations in COVID-19 positive patients even with milder disease.

Smartphone-aided Quantification of Iridocorneal Angle.

As the upgrading of smartphone technology revolutionizes the field of ophthalmic imaging, we put forward one more of its novel applications. This article presents the possibility of iridocorneal angle (ICA) estimation through smartphone-captured images. Such measured inferior ICA (at 6'o clock position) was comparable to the anterior segment optical coherence tomography measured trabecular iris angle at 500 µ at 270 degrees (P=0.06). They both had an excellent positive correlation (ρ=0.81, P<0.001). Therefore, smartphone image-aided angle estimation may be a simple, effective, and economical method for quantification of ICAs, paving a more evident way for identification of angle-closure disease.