Ultrasound Immersion Technique in the Management of Intra-lenticular Foreign Body in Low Resource Setting: A Case Series.

INTRODUCTION: The eye hospitals of low-income countries including Nepal are not equipped with imaging modalities including CT scan, UBM and Pentacam but most of them have ophthalmic ultrasound. We evaluate the utility of routine ultrasound for proper localization and confirmation of the intra-lenticular foreign body along with detection of the status of the posterior capsule using immersion technique. CASE: Four consecutive cases with intra-lenticular foreign bodies presenting to the vitreo-retina department of Lumbini Eye Institute were included in the study. Ultrasound immersion technique was used to detect the ILFB along with x-ray. Planned ILFB removal with phacoemulsification or lens aspiration and foldable IOL implantation as a single-stage procedure was done in all the patients. They were followed up to 3 months after the surgery. OBSERVATIONS: Intra-lenticular location of IOFB was confirmed by ultrasound immersion technique in all 4 eyes. Intactness of the posterior capsule was also detected preoperatively in all 4 eyes. ILFBs were removed with Utrata's capsulorrhexis forcep in all cases following capsulorrhexis. Phacoemulsification was performed to remove cataract in 2 cases whereas lens aspiration with Simcoe canula was performed in other two cases. Single piece acrylic foldable intraocular lens was implanted in all cases. Posterior capsule was intact in all 4 cases intra-operatively. Features of siderosis were observed in one case. Mild postoperative uveitis was seen in all cases and was controlled with topical steroids. Best corrected visual acuity at the last examination was 6/9 or better in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound immersion technique is very useful tool in management of intra-lenticular foreign body at least in low resource setting. Phacoemulsification /lens aspiration with ILFB removal and IOL implantation provides good visual outcome in these eyes.

Multidisciplinary Approach for Retinoblastoma Management.

We read with keen interest the article by Shah et al "Pathologic Risk Factor in Retinoblastoma: An Institutional Experience Based on Analysis of Enucleated Eyes"(Shah A et al, 2012). They have highlighted high-risk histopathological features in Retinoblastoma with retrolaminar optic nerve invasion being the most common and also showed statistically significant correlation of high risk histological features with tumor size and AJCC stage of tumor. Their aim to assess the frequency and spectrum of high risk histopathological features in enucleated specimens of retinoblastoma was successful which may guide the clinician in timely planning for subsequent neoadjuvant therapy and prevent further ocular morbidity and mortality in children. We would like to congratulate authors for this article and with invoked interest it led us to go in more depth and we wish to discuss several aspects of the study that can potentially influence the results.

A Review of Epidemiological Research on Adverse Neurological Effects of Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution.

There is a growing body of epidemiological research reporting the neurological effects of ambient air pollution. We examined current evidence, identified the strengths and weaknesses of published epidemiological studies, and suggest future directions for research in this area. Studies were identified through a systematic search of online scientific databases, in addition to a manual search of the reference lists from the identified papers. Despite being a relatively new area of investigation, overall, there is mounting evidence implicating adverse effects of air pollution on neurobehavioral function in both adults and children. Further research is needed to expand our understanding of these relationships, including improvement in the accuracy of exposure assessments; focusing on specific toxicants and their relationships to specific health endpoints, such as neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases; investigating the combined neurological effects of multiple air pollutants; and further exploration of genetic susceptibility for neurotoxicity of air pollution. In order to achieve these goals collaborative efforts are needed from multidisciplinary teams, including experts in toxicology, biostatistics, geographical science, epidemiology, and neurology.