More Than Meets the Eye: A Rare Case of Posterior Scleritis Masquerading as Orbital Cellulitis.

Posterior scleritis is a rare sight-threatening condition that typically presents with an acutely painful eye, often with associated reduced visual acuity. Diagnosis can be challenging and requires specialist ophthalmological assessment. Consequences of delayed treatment include permanent loss of vision. We present a case of posterior scleritis initially managed as periorbital cellulitis. We highlight the importance of broad differential diagnoses when assessing painful periorbital swelling, and present a review of current management strategies for posterior scleritis.

Intracranial hypotension mimicking chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia.

Intracranial hypotension (ICH) is characterized by low cerebrospinal fluid pressure, postural headaches, and diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A variety of ophthalmoparetic manifestations have been reported in the context of the ICH. The authors describe an unusual case of a 64-year-old woman who presented with rapid onset of headaches, bilateral upper-lid ptosis, and blurring of vision within 4 days after sustaining a trivial head injury. She was noted to have bilateral symmetrical ophthalmoplegia and ptosis-simulating chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia. MRI revealed characteristic features of ICH. Subsequent autologous epidural patch therapy led to resolution of the headache and imaging findings; however, her ptosis and motility disorder persisted. Despite existing therapeutic measures for ICH, irreversible cranial nerve damage may ensue due to significant cerebral decent or ischemic injury.

Periocular manifestations of trigeminal trophic syndrome: A case series and literature review.

Trigeminal trophic syndrome (TTS) is a condition whereby persistent facial ulceration presents consequent to central or peripheral insult to the trigeminal nerve. Lesions are created by repetitive self-inflicted manipulation and trauma of dysaesthetic skin within the trigeminal dermatome. We discuss four cases with aetiologies varied from presumed microvascular compromise to resection of cerebral meningioma, cerebrovascular accident, and herpes zoster ophthalmicus. We discuss the management of the under-recognised associated periocular skin ulcerations that result from physical manipulation of dysesthic skin and prove to be persistent and challenging to treat. Patient education and counselling are crucial in understanding and preventing the detrimental effect of physical manipulation of the skin. Occlusive dressings can reduce recurrent trauma. Topical lubricants, antibiotics, or autologous serum may be needed in cases with corneal involvement or exposure. Surgical interventions may be used, but frequently fail if the underlying neurological pathology and skin manipulation has not been adequately addressed. TTS should be suspected in persistent or recurrent facial ulceration with concomitant anaesthesia and paraesthesia in the trigeminal distribution, with alar nasi involvement being a key feature.

Entropion and ectropion repair: a snapshot of surgical practice in the United Kingdom.

We aim to provide a snapshot of the current surgical practice for correction of entropion and ectropion, the two most common oculoplastic procedures carried out in the UK, by surveying 135 consultant oculoplastic surgeons via the tool Survey Monkey. Forty-seven (35%) consultants responded. For entropion, 44% of surgeons opted for lateral tarsal strip (LTS) + everting sutures (ES). Other first-line choices included LTS + transcutaneous retractor plication (21%), Quickert's procedure (14%), ES (7%), and Wies procedure (5%). Important patient-related factors to consider were horizontal lid laxity and retractor dehiscence. Regarding ectropion, LTS was most commonly practiced (35%), followed by LTS + transconjunctival retractor plication (28%), wedge excision (16%), and lateral canthoplasty (5%). The patient-related factors guiding choice were horizontal lid laxity, lateral canthal tendon laxity, and punctal position under traction. Responses found a wide range of preferred surgical techniques in practice. The factors guiding surgical choice were personal audit results (92% stated important/very important), familiarity with the technique (92%), and the technique being favoured by previous trainers (76%), suggesting current practice led by expert opinion, possibly due to a lack of evidence-based literature. This highlights the variety of core oculoplastic surgical techniques practiced and underlines the need for robust trials to guide surgical choice.

Upper Eyelid Reconstruction Using a Blepharoplasty Flap.

PURPOSE: The blepharoplasty flap is a relatively simple but under-recognized surgical technique for repairing defects that result from excision of broad-based lesions on the upper eyelid that lie between the eyelid crease and the eyelashes. As this has not been previously published in the literature, the authors aim to increase the awareness of this technique. METHODS: The eyelid crease is marked. A line is drawn perpendicular to the crease line along the aspect of the lesion closest to the centre of the eyelid, dividing the eyelid into 4 quarters. The lesion is excised along with the area lying diagonally. An advancement flap is then fashioned from excess skin of the upper eyelid and moved inferiorly to close the defect. RESULTS: The resulting cosmetic results seen postoperatively have been excellent. CONCLUSIONS: The blepharoplasty flap is a style of surgical advancement flap that utilizes the tissue that would normally be excised during blepharoplasty. This straightforward technique can prove useful in the surgical repertoire due to its potential to be widely adopted in surgical practice.

Masquerading optic neuritis.

A 54-year-old woman presented to the ophthalmology emergency department with a 10-day history of blurred vision. The best-corrected visual acuities and Ishihara colour vision were bilaterally reduced with a left relative afferent pupillary defect. Slit-lamp examination was otherwise normal. Retrobulbar optic neuritis (ON) was presumed as she had suffered with this previously and was known to have multiple sclerosis (MS). She was recalled the following week for visual field (VF) testing, which was not available at the time of presentation. VFs demonstrated an incongruous left homonymous hemianopia. She was immediately referred to the medical team to investigate for a stroke, which was subsequently excluded. Thereafter, a trial of pulsed methylprednisolone was commenced, resulting in near complete resolution of the hemianopia. This case demonstrates not only the importance of VF testing, but also how ON may present with any field defect, including mimicking a stroke, a point valuable to ophthalmologists and medics alike.

The eye drop chart: a pilot study for improving administration of and compliance with topical treatments in glaucoma patients.

AIM: In order to improve patient education, compliance, and administration of eye drops prescribed for patients suffering with glaucoma within a UK ophthalmology department, an eye drop chart (EDC) was designed, developed, and piloted with patients attending the glaucoma clinic over 1 month. METHODS: A cross-sectional prospective pilot study of 25 patients using an administration aid and a self-reported questionnaire. Chi-square tests were used to compare responses pre- and postintervention. RESULTS: Results demonstrated an impressive improvement in nine of eleven categories assessed regarding drop administration and compliance. Patients stating that they always wash their hands increased significantly from 64% (13 participants) to 92% (23 participants) (P=0.029), and those who always shake the bottle improved from 40% (10) to 84% (21) (P=0.001). Punctal occlusion techniques improved from 44% (11) to 72% (18) (P=0.015). Finally, patients who always discarded the bottle after 28 days of use rose from 68% to 92%, though the difference was not significant (P=0.09). Only the number of drops being administered to the eye and the length of time left between the application of drops remained relatively unchanged. Sixty-four percent reported finding EDC helpful or useful, 52% had positive responses when asked if they would continue using EDC, and 88% would recommend it to a friend. CONCLUSION: Although there are limitations to the data as they are subjective, descriptive, and limited to sample size of 25, the results of this pilot study have shown promise. The EDC appears to be a cost-effective way at improving patients' use of topical ocular medications.

The state of population health surveillance using electronic health records: a narrative review.

Electronic health records (EHRs) are transforming the practice of clinical medicine, but the extent to which they are being harnessed to advance public health goals remains uncertain. Data extracted from integrated EHR networks offer the potential for almost real-time determination of the health status of populations in care, for targeting interventions to vulnerable populations, and for monitoring the impact of such initiatives over time. This is especially true in ambulatory care settings, which are uniquely suited for monitoring population health indicators including risk factors and disease management indicators associated with chronic diseases. As efforts gather steam to integrate health data across delivery systems, large networks of electronic patient information are increasingly emerging. Few of the national population health surveillance systems that rely on EHR data have progressed beyond laying groundwork to launch and maintain EHR-based surveillance, but a limited number of more focused or local efforts have demonstrated innovation in population health surveillance. Common challenges include incompleteness of population coverage, lack of interoperability across data systems, and variable data quality. This review defines progress, opportunities, and challenges in using EHR data for population health surveillance.

Retinoschisis transposition following a retinal detachment repair.

OBJECTIVE: The authors have observed this phenomenon of translocation of the schisis cavity in a few previous cases and aim to report this unusual finding. METHOD: A patient with known superotemporal retinoschisis developed a distinctly separate inferotemporal retinal detachment in his left eye. This was repaired with a vitrectomy, cryotherapy and C2F6 tamponade under local anaesthetic. Following surgery, the retinoschisis was found in the inferonasal quadrant of the eye and remained stable as the gas dispersed. RESULT: We hypothesise that the tamponading agent compressed the viscous fluid within the area of schisis, displacing the area of schisis circumferentially. CONCLUSION: This case emphasises that as long as the retinal breaks are properly sealed, no intervention is required with the schisis during rhegmatogenous retinal detachment surgery.

Retained Descemet's membrane following penetrating keratoplasty for Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy: a case report of a post-operative complication.

PURPOSE: To report a case of retained Descemet's membrane following penetrating keratoplasty in a patient suffering from Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy. The use of confocal microscopy, histopathological tissue analysis, and treatment options are discussed. METHODS: Case report of an 85-year-old man with a past ophthalmic history of atrophic macular degeneration, underwent a penetrating keratoplasty for Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy. Postoperative review revealed a retained retrocorneal membrane within the anterior chamber. Further surgery was performed to excise the membrane, with a subjective and objective postoperative improvement in visual acuity and without subsequent complications of the corneal graft. RESULTS: Histopathological assessment confirmed the clinical suspicion of a retained Descemet's membrane, marrying with the initial histology from the corneal button excised during the penetrating keratoplasty, which showed only a very thin Descemet's layer. CONCLUSION: Retention of the Descemet's membrane following penetrating keratoplasty is a rare but potential complication of this surgery, particularly in cases of Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy due to the thickened and abnormal histological nature of the endothelium and high index of suspicion is required.

Case report: papillitis as the sole ocular sign in Lyme disease.

BACKGROUND: Lyme disease is a spirochetal disease responsible for a multitude of ocular and systemic manifestations, and patients may present to ophthalmologists and general clinicians with a wide variety of generalized and ocular signs which can result in chronic and disabling sequelae. Here we report two cases of patients suffering with Lyme disease who developed a rare associated papillitis. METHODS: A 48-year-old Scottish man presented with diminished visual acuity, painful ocular eye movements, photophobia, and mild ataxia. Fundus examination revealed bilateral disc swelling with associated hemorrhages in the right eye. Following exclusion of raised intracranial pressure as the cause of the findings, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot serology confirmed a positive result for Borrelia burgdorferi which, along with ophthalmic signs and exposure to an endemic area, confirmed the diagnosis of Lyme disease. A 79-year-old gentleman presented with intermittent short-duration "gray film" in his left eye. Fundus examination revealed left optic disc swelling. He was positive for Lyme's serology and his condition was treated with 2 weeks of intravenous ceftriaxone. RESULTS: The first patient's inflammation resolved and visual acuity returned to normal following a course of high-dose steroids and intravenous ceftriaxone, followed by oral doxycycline. The second patient's condition improved with high-dose intravenous ceftriaxone. CONCLUSION: These patients highlight the fact that Lyme disease should be considered as a differential diagnosis for patients presenting with papillitis. With the incidence of this disease rising and more cases being reported, practitioners in Lyme-endemic areas need to be aware of the various manifestations so that appropriate referrals for treatment can be made.

A cardiologist view of vascular disease in diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus is a potent risk factor for the development of a wide spectrum of cardiovascular (CV) complications. The complex metabolic milieu accompanying diabetes alters blood rheology, the structure of arteries and disrupts the homeostatic functions of the endothelium. These changes act as the substrate for end-organ damage and the occurrence of CV events. In those who develop acute coronary syndromes, patients with diabetes are more likely to die, both in the acute phase and during follow-up. Patients with diabetes are also more likely to suffer from chronic cardiac failure, independently of the presence of large vessel disease, and also more likely to develop stroke, renal failure and peripheral vascular disease. Preventing vascular events is the primary goal of therapy. Optimal cardiac care for the patient with diabetes should focus on aggressive management of traditional CV risk factors to optimize blood glucose, lipid and blood pressure control. Targeting medical therapy to improve plaque stability and diminish platelet hyper-responsiveness reduces the frequency of events associated with atherosclerotic plaque burden. In patients with critical lesions, revascularization strategies, either percutaneous or surgical, will often be necessary to improve symptoms and prevent vascular events. Improved understanding of the vascular biology will be crucial for the development of new therapeutic agents to prevent CV events and improve outcomes in patients with diabetes.