Eclipse retinopathy.

Ten patients (13 eyes) suffered from varying degrees of eclipse retinopathy during a solar eclipse on 16 February 1980. There was no correlation between severity of the fundus lesions and the visual acuity. In 8 of the 10 eyes available for follow-up 6/6 or better visual acuity was seen. Early fluorescein studies revealed microleaks in 3 eyes (2 patients) and masking of choroidal fluorescence in 1 eye; however, 1 to 3 weeks later these eyes showed only faint window defects. It is postulated that in mild to moderate lesions there is a transient retinal capillary spasm, producing oedema in anterior retinal layers. Fluorescein angiography in such patients reveals no abnormality or only masking of choroidal fluorescence. However, severe cases develop micropunctures in the tight junctions of the pigment epithelium, leading to microleaks, which are sealed within a short period.

Visual prognosis in central serous choroidopathy: residual Amsler grid changes.

To assess residual changes on Amsler grid charting in central serous choroidopathy, 30 patients (34 eyes) with the disorder were followed from the time of onset of symptoms to the time of resolution of the disease. A total of 28 eyes, including all 3 with an acuity of 6/6 or better, had Amsler grid changes at presentation, compared with 13 eyes at the last follow-up visit. Significantly more patients with a disease duration of more than 8 weeks than those whose disease lasted 8 weeks or less had residual changes (p less than 0.01). Overall, 41% of the eyes had a final acuity of less than 6/6 or a residual change or both.

Enterovirus 70 acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis--sporadic cases.

Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) has been reported in epidemics. This is a report of 29 sporadic cases of AHC recorded over a period of two years after the 1981 epidemic in and around Chandigarh. A rapid and simple immunofluorescence test was developed and standardized in our Institute for the diagnosis of AHC. It was used for epidemiological monitoring of cases and to establish the diagnosis in suspected cases of AHC reporting after the epidemic. The clinical picture of epidemic and sporadic cases is compared.

Unilateral traumatic aphakia in children: role of corneal contact lenses.

Twenty-eight children below ten years of age with unilateral traumatic aphakia were fitted with hard corneal contact lenses. Visual acuity of 6/12 or better was achieved in 68% of the cases. Patients who were above seven years of age at the time of injury, and those fitted with contact lenses within eight months of trauma, were found to have better chances of recovering normal binocular functions.

Ocular hazards during birth.

In a study of over 2,000 consecutive live births, 243 newborns (12%) suffered birth trauma to the eye and its adnexa. Two hundred twenty-one cases (11%) had multiple retinal hemorrhages. Severe ocular accidents by forceps delivery were seen in the form of hyphema, Purtscher's retinopathy, corneal edema, facial palsy, and corneal abscess. Purtscher's retinopathy and corneal abscess are rare birth injuries that have not been reported so far in newborn babies.

Osteosarcoma of the orbit.

A rare case of osteosarcoma of the orbit in a 10-year-old female child is reported.

Prognosis in traumatic cataract surgery.

Surgical results in 30 cases of traumatic cataracts using mainly aspiration and extraction techniques are reported. A corrected visual acuity of 6/12 or better was achieved in 64.3% of cases. Three eyes had light perception only. Early surgery using aspiration technique followed by contact lens correction is recommended for traumatic cataracts.

Congenital ocular abnormalities of the new born.

No information is available in the literature about the true incidence of congenital ocular abnormalities and associated systemic abnormalities in an Indian population. Initial results based on the first year of this study are presented. Out of 2,153 children born from January 1978 to December 1978, 2,016 were examined for any congenital ocular or systemic abnormality. The incidence of congenital ocular and systemic abnormalities was 10.5/1000 and 20/1000 live births respectively. Four out of 21 congenital ocular abnormalities were associated with congenital systemic abnormalities. Individual abnormalities are discussed in brief.

Congenital cataract: management and results.

The visual outcome in cases of congenital cataract, managed both surgically and conservatively, is outlined. Final vision was better in cases with partial cataract, about 40% of whom attained 6/24 or better vision. With total cataracts, none could achieve this level of vision, with the majority (84%) attaining only 6/60 or less acuity. Visual results were also better in patients without nystagmus, 34% of whom attained 6/24 or better vision, while in cases with nystagmus, only 15% could come up to this level. Cataracts necessitating early surgery had a worse prognosis than cataracts necessitating late surgery. Visual results were best in cases with bilateral cataracts, partial cataracts, absence of associated ocular anomalies, the absence of nystagmus and in patients requiring later surgery. The important causes of nonimprovement of vision were amblyopia and after-cataract. Retinal detachment, retinopathy, and degenerative myopia were some of the less frequent causes of poor vision, while mental retardation was another important factor. Full cooperation from the parents is absolutely essential in the proper visual rehabilitation of the handicapped child.

Congenital cataract: etiology and morphology.

In a study of congenital cataract in northern India, 76 patients (146 eyes) were evaluated for morphological patterns and etiology. Partial cataracts were found to be three times more common than total cataracts, the lamellar types being the most common among the partial cataracts. Hereditary cataracts had a 19.7% incidence. The majority (46.05%) of cases of congenital cataract were of idiopathic origin. A few cases were associated with metabolic disorders (Marfan's and Marchand's). Strabismus and nystagmus were the most common associated ocular abnormalities (28.94% and 15.79%), and mental retardation was the most commonly associated systemic abnormality. Rubella cataract was seen far less frequently than expected.

Ocular and orbital metastasis from systemic malignancies.

One hundred and seventy adult patients and one hundred and forty-eight children with systemic malignancies were examined for ocular and/or orbital metastases. Thirty-six patients (11.3%) had intraocular and/or orbital metastasis. Twenty-nine of the 36 patients (80.5%) had orbital metastasis, five patients (13.9%) had intraocular and two patients (5.5%) had intraocular and orbital metastasis. The commonest malignancy producing ocular metastasis was carcinoma breast in females and carcinoma bronchus in males. Eight of the 17 children had orbital deposits from leukaemia (47%) and six from neuroblastoma (35%). One child had uveal infiltration from acute lymphatic leukaemia. Ophthalmic metastasis were treated by external irradiation and/or combination chemotherapy whenever possible. The mean survival was five months for intraocular metastasis and 15.6 months for the orbital metastasis in adults. Prognosis was very poor in children.