Ocular Disorders in Turkish Children with Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Cross-Sectional Study and Literature Review.

PURPOSE: To investigate types and frequencies of ocular disorders in children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), and to emphasize the importance of ophthalmological examination in these children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the examination records of children examined in our instutititon between January 2011 and September 2014 was performed. Ocular disorders of children with SHNL were selectively reviewed. RESULTS: Among 55340 patients, SNHL was present in 110 (0.2%). SNHL was bilateral in 104 patients (94.5%) and unilateral in 6 (5.5%). Ninety-one cases had congenital hearing loss (83%), and 19 (17%) had acquired SNHL. Forty cases (36%) had an ocular disorder, either refractive or non-refractive or both. Seventy cases (64%) had normal ocular examination. No difference was found between congenital or acquired SNHL cases in terms of possessing an ocular disorder (p=0.0962). The most common ocular abnormality was refractive error, mainly hypermetropia (21%). There was no significant difference between the prevalences of ocular abnormalities among cases with different lateralites or severities of SNHL (p=0.051, p=0.874, respectively). Twenty-six cases (23.6%) had SNHL as a component of a genetically defined syndrome. All of them had coexisting refractive or non-refractive ocular abnormalities. Some genetic, non-syndromic abnormalities, including Achondroplasia, Celiac disease, and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, were diagnosed in four cases, among whom refractive errors and/or strabismus were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the common coexistence of ocular problems and SNHL in children, ophthalmological screening is crucial. Families and healthcare providers should be informed about the critical role of ophthalmic assesment in these children for their future quality of life.

Serum Lipid Levels in Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome.

PURPOSE: To investigate the serum lipid levels in pseudoexfoliation (PEX) syndrome and its association with systemic vascular disorders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were divided into three groups: 52 patients with PEX syndrome (group 1), 20 patients with PEX glaucoma (group 2), and 47 control subjects without PEX syndrome or glaucoma (group 3). The fasting serum total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglyceride levels were evaluated by Beckman Coulter DXC 800/USA biochemical analyzer. RESULTS: The mean LDL values were 138 ± 33 mg/dl in group 1, 150 ± 37 mg/dl in group 2, and 127 ± 36 mg/dl in group 3. The mean LDL values in groups 1 and 2 were found to be significantly higher than that of group 3 (p = 0.04). The patients in groups 1 and 2 were more often diabetic and hypertensive than group 3 (p < 0.008, p < 0.005, respectively). CONCLUSION: Increased LDL values are significantly associated with PEX.

Serum neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in retinopathy of prematurity.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between serum neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and development of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). METHODS: Infants with a gestational age of ≤32 week were screened for ROP. Complete blood cell, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and interleukin 6 levels of subjects were measured within the first 24 hours of life. The NLR was calculated by dividing neutrophil count by lymphocyte count. The association between other risk factors and the development of ROP were analyzed using univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 100 infants were included: 80 with ROP and 20 without ROP. The NLR values differed significantly between the ROP group (median, 0.67; interquartile range, 0.38-1.09) and non-ROP group (median, 0.32; interquartile range, 0.22-0.79; P = 0.02). The lymphocyte count in the ROP group (4.01 ± 1.89) compared to that of the non-ROP group (5.69 ± 2.16) was significantly lower (P = 0.001). In multivariate analysis, lymphocyte count remained an independent predictor of ROP (OR = 0.599; 95% CI, 0.430-0.836; P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The NLR seems not to be an independent predictor of development of ROP. Lymphocyte count is inversely associated with ROP.

Ophthalmological Findings of Turkish Children With Muscular Dystrophies.

PURPOSE: To present the results of ophthalmological examinations in children with muscular dystrophies and highlight the importance of their ophthalmological evaluation. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the ophthalmological examination records in 74 children with a type of muscular dystrophy, examined between January 2011 and January 2015, was performed. RESULTS: The most common type of muscular dystrophy observed in our patients was Duchenne muscular dystrophy (67.5%), followed by Becker muscular dystrophy (9.4%), myotonic dystrophy (8%), limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (6.7%), merosin-negative muscular dystrophy (4%), and Ullrich muscular dystrophy (4%). Ten cases of Duchenne muscular dystrophy had both macular and retinal pigmentary changes (20%) and 9 had abnormal electroretinographies with decreased photopic and scotopic responses. Ptosis was the most common finding (83.3%). No abnormalities of light reflexes, pupil size, or saccadic and smooth pursuit movements were seen among cases with myotonic dystrophy. CONCLUSIONS: Ophthalmological problems are commonly seen in children with muscular dystrophies. Simple ophthalmological screening and early intervention can improve their communication skills by way of increasing their visual talents.

Initial Ophthalmic Findings in Turkish Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) frequently have ophthalmologic disorders. Due to poor cooperation with ophthalmological examination, ocular abnormalities in such children may be overlooked. We retrospectively studied the records of 324 patients diagnosed as ASD that underwent ophthalmological examination between January 2011 and November 2014 at Dr. Sami Ulus Maternity and Children Research and Training Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. Ophthalmic pathology was noted in 26.9% of patients with ASD, of which 22% had significant refractive errors and 8.6% had strabismus. Comprehensive eye examination by a pediatric ophthalmologist is recommended for all children diagnosed as ASD.