Fireworks: boon or bane to our eyes?

Fireworks are an integral aspect of national, cultural and religious festivals globally, featuring in a vast range of celebrations including Diwali in India and New Year's Eve in the USA. We have seen a trend in eye injuries related to the use of fireworks, with millions of people, of which a large proportion comprising children, are injured annually-and rather than falling, as one would hope, this number is remaining stable. A comprehensive study of the impact of firework-related injuries to the eye is not available, and the efforts to mitigate this are not widely discussed in the literature. This literature review therefore focusses on studying the impact of firework-related eye injuries, the effect of legislation on mitigating these injuries and their associated morbidity.

Incidence and trends of ophthalmic cancer in Singapore: Data from Singapore Cancer Registry.

INTRODUCTION: Limited data are available on the incidence of primary ophthalmic cancers worldwide. We describe the incidence and trends of primary ophthalmic cancers in Singapore. METHODS: Data on ophthalmic cancers diagnosed in Singapore from 1996 to 2016 were retrieved from the Singapore Cancer Registry for analysis. All were histologically proven primary ophthalmic cancers. Calculations of incidence and age-specific frequency of ophthalmic malignancy were made. RESULTS: A total of 297 cases were included, with males constituting 59.9%. The race distribution was 78.5% Chinese, 16.5% Malay, 3.7% Indians and 1.3% others. There was an overall increase in ophthalmic malignancies. The mean age of onset was 47.4 years. The most common cancers were retinoblastoma (93.3%) in patients younger than 15 years, and lymphoma (71.3%) in patients aged 15 years and older. There has been an increase in lymphomas from 16.7% in 1968-1995 to 71.3% in 1996-2016 in those aged 15 years and older. The most common types of ophthalmic cancer according to location are lymphoma of the orbit, conjunctiva, cornea and lacrimal gland; retinoblastoma of the retina; and malignant melanoma of the choroid and ciliary body. CONCLUSION: Our study reported the incidence and trends of ophthalmic cancer in the Singapore population and showed an overall increase in ophthalmic malignancies in Singapore from 1996-2016. A substantial increase in lymphomas over the last 2 decades was noted. The data could aid clinicians, epidemiologists and policymakers in implementing strategies to address trends in ophthalmic cancers and spur aetiological research to improve quality of life in patients with such cancers.

Case Series of Combined XEN Implantation and Phacoemulsification in Chinese Eyes: One-Year Outcomes.

PURPOSE: The outcome of XEN implantation in Chinese eyes has not been previously reported. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combined cataract surgery and XEN implantation in Chinese eyes with glaucoma. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study of 31 consecutive Chinese patients who underwent combined phacoemulsification and XEN implantation at the National University Hospital (Singapore) in this study. Patients were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively on days 1 and 7, and months 1, 3, 6, and 12. The intraocular pressure (IOP), glaucoma medication use, Snellen visual acuity (VA), and complications were assessed at each visit. The Wilcoxon signed rank test for non-parametric data was used for the analysis of IOP and glaucoma medications at baseline versus 12 months after the procedure. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 70 ± 7.9 years and 48.4% were male. Twelve patients (38.7%) were diagnosed with primary open angle glaucoma and 19 patients (61.3%) were diagnosed with primary angle closure glaucoma. There was a significant decrease in IOP at 12 months (12.1 ± 2.6 mmHg) compared with preoperative medicated (15.6 ± 2.7 mmHg, p < 0.0001) and unmedicated IOP (22.1 ± 3.6 mmHg, p < 0.001). as well as a significant reduction in the number of glaucoma medications (1.4 ± 0.6 vs 0.1 ± 0.4, p < 0.0001). The most common complications were transient hypotony (12.9%) and ptosis (12.9%) and there were no sight-threatening intraoperative or postoperative complications. One patient required additional glaucoma surgery for uncontrolled IOP at 8 months after combined phacoemulsification and XEN implantation. CONCLUSION: Combined XEN implantation with cataract surgery was effective in lowering the IOP and the number of glaucoma medications in Chinese eyes for at least 12 months, with a favorable safety profile.

Anophthalmic Sockets in Retinoblastoma: A Single Center Experience.

PURPOSE: To evaluate outcomes of anophthalmic sockets in retinoblastoma at a tertiary care center in Singapore. DESIGN: A retrospective study. METHODS: Patients who underwent enucleation as sole/part of treatment for retinoblastoma were reviewed at our center from 2005-2017. Details including demographics, grouping and staging, adjuvant therapy, surgery, implant, and complications were collected. RESULTS: Of 42 patients with retinoblastoma managed over the period, the anophthalmic sockets of 31 patients who underwent enucleation were analyzed. Mean age at enucleation was 2 years. Twenty-three enucleations were performed at our institution and 8 enucleations had been performed elsewhere. Seventeen patients (52%) had porous polypropylene, 9 patients (27%) had polymethylmethacrylate, 1 patient (3%) had glass implant, and 3 (9%) had dermis fat graft. The sizes of implants varied from 10 to 20 mm. Twelve patients had attempts at globe salvation before enucleation. Out of 28 patients with primary orbital implants, 3 had implant exposure. The rates of repeat surgery among patients with and without primary implant were 66.67% (2 out of 3) and 10.7% (3 out of 28), respectively. One patient had postenucleation socket syndrome with stock eye. Five patients referred for enucleation were conservatively managed. CONCLUSIONS: Anophthalmic sockets in retinoblastoma have long-term implications if the primary procedure is not performed well. While the majority had good outcomes (structural and esthetic), a minority had complications requiring intervention. Ophthalmologists managing retinoblastoma must be aware of these. Primary implant had favorable outcome with minimal complications.