Candida Colonization on the Surface of Contact Lenses in Long-Term Wearers and Boston Type 1 Keratoprosthesis Patients Presenting as White Mulberry-Shaped Deposits.

PURPOSE: To report Candida colonies on the surface of the contact lens in long-term contact lens wearers and patients with Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis (KPro I). METHODS: A retrospective study was performed based on analyzing cultures from bandage contact lenses with small whitish mulberry-shaped deposits on their surface. RESULTS: Eight samples (from seven patients) were positive for Candida. Seven of the eight were positive for Candida parapsilosis. CONCLUSIONS: The whitish deposits on contact lenses are often Candida colonies that colonize the surface but do not cause an active infection in the eye. C. parapsilosis is well-known for colonizing prosthetic devices. We underline the importance of including Candida species in the differential diagnosis of lens deposits, especially in susceptible patients such as keratoprosthesis carriers.

Irregular Corneas: Improve Visual Function With Scleral Contact Lenses.

OBJECTIVES: To assess visual function in patients with irregular cornea who do not tolerate gas permeable (GP) corneal contact lenses and are fitted with GP scleral contact lenses (Rose K2 XL). METHODS: In this prospective study, we analyzed 15 eyes of 15 patients who did not tolerate GP corneal contact lenses and were fitted with scleral contact lenses (Rose K2 XL). We assessed visual function using visual acuity and the visual function index (VF-14); we used the VF-14 as an indicator of patient satisfaction. The measurements were taken with the optical correction used before and 1 month after the fitting of the Rose K2 XL contact lenses. We also recorded the number of hours lenses had been worn over the first month. RESULTS: Using Rose K2 XL contact lenses, visual acuity was 0.06±0.07 logMAR. In all cases, visual acuity had improved compared with the measurement before fitting the lenses (0.31±0.18 logMAR; P=0.001). VF-14 scores were 72.74±12.38 before fitting of the scleral lenses, and 89.31±10.87 after 1 month of lens use (P=0.003). Patients used these scleral lenses for 9.33±2.99 comfortable hours of wear. CONCLUSIONS: Both visual acuity and VF-14 may improve after fitting Rose K2 XL contact lenses in patients with irregular corneas. In addition, in our patients, these lenses can be worn for a longer period than GP corneal contact lenses.

Transmucosal Boston Keratoprosthesis Type II in a Case of Severe Bilateral Chemical Burn.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this report was to describe a new alternative surgical technique combining oral mucosa and the Boston Keratoprosthesis type II (BKPro II) in a patient with severe chemical burn. METHODS: We present a case of a 37-year-old man who suffered a severe bilateral chemical burn. Visual acuity was light perception and projection in both eyes. After many surgeries, including eyelid reconstruction, eyelashes electrolysis, and amniotic membrane transplants, he presented a corneal thinning in his right eye that was managed with an autologous oral mucosa graft. Considering the limited function of the eyelids, mild symblepharon, and dry ocular surface, we proposed the implantation of a BKPro II. The patient voiced his desire of avoiding complete tarsorrhaphy for better cosmesis. Osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis or tibial bone keratoprothesis was also discarded at the patient's express wish. A year and a half later, the oral mucosa was transplanted, and once the ocular surface was stabilized, we lift the mucosa 270 degrees and performed the implantation of the BKPro II covering this device with the mucosa trephined avoiding the complete tarsorrhaphy and theraby modifying the standard procedure. RESULTS: After 34 months of follow-up, the patient did not develop any complications, his visual acuity is stable (0.3 decimal), and funduscopic examination showed a pale optic disk, vascular tortuosity, and an epiretinal membrane that remains stable up to this period. CONCLUSIONS: Transmucosal BKPro II may be considered as an alternative surgical technique for implant support in BKPro II carriers who want to improve their cosmesis avoiding, avoid complete tarsorrhaphy, and do not want to be exposed to dental or bone surgeries.

Boston Type II Keratoprosthesis, 7 Years of Experience and Outcomes From a Spanish Tertiary Eye Care Hospital.

PURPOSE: To report midterm outcomes of Boston Keratoprosthesis type II at a reference center in Spain. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: This observational study included medical records of 9 patients who underwent Boston Keratoprosthesis type II surgery at Cruces University Hospital from May 2016 through May 2023. A total of 9 eyes received this device during the study period. One patient who had undergone a modification of the standard procedure was excluded. Preoperative and postoperative parameters were studied. The main outcomes analyzed were visual acuity, device retention, and complications and their management. RESULTS: The most common indication for implantation was severe Sjögren syndrome (33.3%) followed by graft-versus-host disease (22.2%). The mean follow-up was 3.89 years (±2.08). Visual acuity improved to better than or equal to 20/40 in 8 eyes (88.8%) and 20/25 in 6 eyes (66.6%), while best-corrected visual acuity of 20/20 was achieved in 4 eyes (44.4%). At the last visit, maximum visual acuity was maintained in 4 patients. The most common postoperative complication was retroprosthetic membrane formation (77.7%). New-onset glaucoma was detected in 4 patients (44.4%). Device extrusion occurred in 1 eye and 2 more patients required replacement surgery. All but 1 of the patients are on postoperative treatment with systemic immunosuppressants. CONCLUSIONS: The Boston type II Keratoprosthesis is a useful option for visual rehabilitation in end-stage ocular surface diseases. Multidisciplinary management of complications is of vital importance for the maintenance of vision and the device. Immunosuppressive treatment helps control the inflammation that leads to most associated complications.

Sterile corneal necrosis after bowman layer transplantation.

Purpose: To report sterile corneal necrosis as a severe and rare complication after Bowman Layer Transplantation (BTL). Methods: A 35-year-old woman with Down syndrome and advanced progressive keratoconus in her left eye was scheduled for a BLT. The patient rubbed her eyes and did not tolerate contact lenses. Following standard technique, a 8mm Bowman layer graft was placed into a intrastromal pocket with no intraoperative complications. Results: Postoperatively, the patient remained stable and topography showed notable central flattening but 17 days after the BTL was performed she developed a sterile corneal necrosis. Conclusions: Many studies have proven the efficacy of this technique as a potential treatment for stabilizing progressive and advanced keratoconus in selected cases. Few complications associated with BTL have been reported, including Bowman Layer tears or buttonholes when obtaining the tissue, very thick grafts or postoperative hydrops but no sterile necrosis described to the date. A combination of the hypotheses raised in this paper may explain this undesirable event.

Multicentre study: reliability and repeatability of Scheimpflug system measurement in keratoconus.

PURPOSE: To assess the repeatability and reliability of the most important tomographic parameters for characterising keratoconus measured with a Pentacam HR (high resolution). METHODS: Overall, 230 eyes in 158 patients with keratoconus were analysed. We performed five consecutive corneal tomography examinations for each eye with a Pentacam HR in patients with keratoconus. Study eyes were classified into three groups depending on the maximum posterior elevation (max_BFS_post): grade 1 for cases of keratoconus with a max_BFS_post of 40 µm; grade 2 for those with a max_BFS_post of between 41 and 75 µm and grade 3 for those with a max_BFS_post of over 75 µm. We calculated the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and repeatability limits of parameters from tomography and aberrometry. RESULTS: All the parameters were found to have excellent ICCs (0.9). The repeatability limits for the key parameters were higher than 0.5D for the power parameters, 20° for the axis of corneal astigmatism and 10 µm for the thinnest corneal thickness. Further, we obtained repeatability limits of above 0.1 µm for the aberrometry values and overall greater than 15° for the coma axis. All the values increase with the severity of keratoconus, except for that of the coma axis which falls with keratoconus grade. CONCLUSIONS: The reliability indicated by ICCs supports the view that the Pentacam HR is useful for the diagnosis of keratoconus. The repeatability limits suggest that new criteria should be established for monitoring progression taking into account the real measurements that can be made using this system.

Changes in the corneal thickness and limbus after 1 year of scleral contact lens use.

PURPOSE: To assess the physiological changes in the cornea over time in patients with irregular cornea fitted with Rose K2 XL gas-permeable scleral contact lenses. METHODS: Prospective study of 16 eyes of patients who did not tolerate gas-permeable corneal contact lenses and were fitted with Rose K2 XL scleral lenses. We assessed the central vault and the corneal thickness centrally and at peripheral regions (2 to 5 mm annulus). All these measures were obtained by anterior segment optical coherence tomography. The measurements were taken immediately after fitting the lenses and 1, 6 and 12 months later. Prior to the study and at 1 year, we performed an objective test for diagnosing limbal stem cell deficiency (Limbokit). RESULTS: The mean vault was 201.7 ± 82.3 µm 20 min after fitting the contact lens; 189.4 ± 94.0 µm at 1 month; 165.1 ± 75.9 µm at 6 months and 142.1 ± 76.8 µm at 1 year, the values at 6 and 12 months being significantly different to baseline. After 1 year, the central corneal thickness had increased by 2.3% (IQR = 5.6), but the changes were only significant for the superior thickness. There is no limbal stem cell deficiency after 1 year of scleral contact lens use. CONCLUSIONS: After use of Rose K2 XL scleral contact lenses, the corneal physiology of patients with an irregular cornea remains unchanged, as assessed by corneal thickness measurements and the Limbokit test. In all cases, however, the vault decreased over time.

Endophthalmitis caused by Fusarium: An emerging problem in patients with corneal trauma. A case series.

BACKGROUND: Although fortunately very rare in countries with a temperate climate, certain factors, such as clinical or pharmacological immunosuppression, may cause Fusarium-related fungal infections to become an emerging problem. Moreover, Fusarium is one of the most important etiological agents in exogenous endophthalmitis, which is often favored by the disruption of the epithelial barriers. AIMS: The aim of this series of clinical cases is to identify characteristic clinical findings that may allow an early diagnosis and more efficient management of this ophthalmologic emergency. METHODS: Three cases of endophthalmitis due to Fusarium solani and Fusarium oxysporum, diagnosed in 2009, 2010, and 2014 in patients from two different health regions belonging to the same health system and separated by around 43 miles, are presented. The Fusarium isolates were initially identified microscopically and the species subsequently confirmed by sequencing the elongation factor alpha (EFα) and internal transcribed spacers (ITS). Susceptibility to antifungal agents was determined using the EUCAST broth dilution method. RESULTS: Evolution was poor as two of the three patients progressed to phthisis bulbi despite surgical measures and broad-spectrum antifungal antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: It is essential to rapidly instigate multidisciplinary measures to combat suspected endophthalmitis due to Fusarium given the poor prognosis of this type of infection.

Endophthalmitis caused by Fusarium: An emerging problem in patients with corneal trauma. A case series / Endoftalmitis por Fusarium: un problema emergente en pacientes con traumatismo corneal. Serie de casos

Background: Although fortunately very rare in countries with a temperate climate, certain factors, such as clinical or pharmacological immunosuppression, may cause Fusarium-related fungal infections to become an emerging problem. Moreover, Fusarium is one of the most important etiological agents in exogenous endophthalmitis, which is often favored by the disruption of the epithelial barriers. Aims: The aim of this series of clinical cases is to identify characteristic clinical findings that may allow an early diagnosis and more efficient management of this ophthalmologic emergency. Methods: Three cases of endophthalmitis due to Fusarium solani and Fusarium oxysporum, diagnosed in 2009, 2010, and 2014 in patients from two different health regions belonging to the same health system and separated by around 43 miles, are presented. The Fusarium isolates were initially identified microscopically and the species subsequently confirmed by sequencing the elongation factor alpha (EFalfa) and internal transcribed spacers (ITS). Susceptibility to antifungal agents was determined using the EUCAST broth dilution method. Results: Evolution was poor as two of the three patients progressed to phthisis bulbi despite surgical measures and broad-spectrum antifungal antibiotic therapy. Conclusions: It is essential to rapidly instigate multidisciplinary measures to combat suspected endophthalmitis due to Fusarium given the poor prognosis of this type of infection

Antecedentes: Afortunadamente, las infecciones por Fusarium son poco frecuentes en países de clima templado; sin embargo, determinados factores como la inmunodepresión clínica o farmacológica, pueden convertirlas en un problema emergente. Fusarium es uno de los microrganismos etiológicos más importantes de la endoftalmitis exógena, favorecida habitualmente por una rotura de las barreras epiteliales. Objetivos: En esta serie de casos clínicos queremos identificar hallazgos clínicos característicos que puedan establecer un diagnóstico temprano y un tratamiento más eficiente de esta urgencia oftalmológica. Métodos: Se presentan tres casos de endoftalmitis por Fusarium solani y Fusarium oxysporum que se produjeron en los años 2009, 2010 y 2014, en pacientes de dos áreas de salud diferentes, pero pertenecientes al mismo sistema sanitario, las cuales distan 43 millas una de la otra. Las cepas aisladas de Fusarium se identificaron inicialmente por microscopia y su identidad se confirmó posteriormente mediante secuenciación del factor de elongación alfa (EFalfa) y de la región codificadora espaciadora interna (ITS). La sensibilidad a los antifúngicos se llevó a cabo por el método de dilución en caldo del EUCAST. Resultados: Se produjo una mala evolución, ya que dos de los tres pacientes evolucionaron haca la atrofia ocular a pesar de las medidas quirúrgicas y el tratamiento antibiótico y antifúngico de amplio espectro. Conclusiones: Es importante actuar rápidamente con medidas multidisciplinarias ante la sospecha de una endoftalmitis por Fusarium por el mal pronóstico de este tipo de infecciones