The challenges of histology education.

Generations of students have struggled to learn histology. They have found the subject extremely dry and the nomenclature very challenging. Insidiously, histology is fading from the minds of stakeholders. Unless this is rectified, it is not inconceivable that the subject will be further diluted in the medical curriculum. What contributing factors could there be? Via a survey and focus group discussions, international faculty (n = 111) were asked what the challenges in teaching histology were. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and stratified by the number of teaching years. A collaborative teaching session with a pathologist was also delivered to the YLLSoMM1 students (n = 280), who gave opinions about it. Of the international faculty, 85 (±1)% responded. Among those, 60 (±1)% felt that the pedagogy should be reformed (e.g., by gamification). Interestingly, 30 (±1)% opined that organ system histology should be moved into the clinical years. Notably, 70 (±1)% of teachers preferred to teach face to face (FTF) using either microscopes or virtual microscopy. Among the students, 71 (±1)% reported self-teaching from online resources. Significantly, 88 (±1)% of M1 students agreed that having the pathologist co-teach histology was beneficial. Some teachers, and most students, struggle with histology. There is a generational divide in opinions concerning how histology should be taught. The traditionalists wish to maintain the status quo while the reformists want changes. Learners want to be engaged with hybrid approaches aided by the pathologist. They also welcome more clinical context during histology lessons.

Effect of symptom duration on outcomes following vitrectomy repair of primary macula-off retinal detachments.

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of symptom duration on visual and anatomical outcomes following pars plana vitrectomy repair of primary macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachments. METHODS: This is a retrospective, consecutive, interventional case series. All eyes underwent repair of macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with a 20-gauge, 23-gauge, or 25-gauge standard 3-port pars plana vitrectomy. Eyes with previous retinal surgery, giant retinal tear, Grade C or higher proliferative vitreoretinopathy, or less than 6 months of follow-up were excluded from the study. The main outcome measure studied was final best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) as dependent on the duration of macular detachment symptoms. The secondary outcomes studied were single surgery anatomical success and complication rates. Visual acuity analysis was performed on all eyes that were pseudophakic by the final follow-up visit. RESULTS: Overall, 81 eyes of 81 patients met inclusion criteria, with a mean follow-up length of 55 months (range, 6-171 months) and mean duration of macular detachment symptom of 12 days (range, 1-64 days). The mean final BCVA was 20/40 (range, 20/20 to hand motion), with 70% (n = 57) of all patients obtaining 20/40 or better final BCVA. Patients with symptom duration of 6 days or less achieved better final BCVA (mean 20/25, n = 34) than patients with longer symptom duration (mean 20/50, n = 47) (t-test, P = 0.0030; α = 0.005). After 7 days of macular detachment, no significant difference was seen in final BCVA (t-test, P > 0.05). The overall single surgery anatomical success rate was 88% (71 of 81 eyes). There was no correlation between the single surgery anatomical success rate and duration of macular detachment symptom (Fisher's exact test, P > 0.10). CONCLUSION: Primary pars plana vitrectomy repair results in good final visual outcome for patients with primary macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachments. Surgical repair within 6 days of the symptom onset yielded better visual outcomes. After 7 days, visual outcome was not affected by the timing of the surgical repair. Anatomical outcome following pars plana vitrectomy repair is not affected by symptom duration.

Virtual retinectomy: indocyanine green-assisted internal limiting membrane peeling as a surgical adjunct in repair of recurrent rhegmatogenous retinal detachment due to PVR.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate a surgical approach, known as internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling, as an adjunct to repair of recurrent retinal detachment due to proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). METHODS: This was a retrospective case series. All eyes underwent repair of recurrent PVR-related rhegmatogenous retinal detachment incorporating macular indocyanine green-assisted ILM peeling. Patients with primary detachments, diabetes, staphyloma, or macular holes were excluded. The main outcome measure was the anatomic success of single surgery. The characteristics of the group were studied, including the number and types of previous detachment repair attempts, as well as the subsequent surgeries. RESULTS: Fourteen eyes from 14 patients were included. Anatomic success with single surgery was achieved in 11 of 14 (79%) of the operated eyes using this technique, and eventual success was achieved in all eyes (100%). Among the failed repairs prior to ILM peeling, 8/14 eyes had scleral buckles, 7/14 had silicone oil tamponade, and two had inferior retinectomies. There was no subsequent development of epiretinal membranes after ILM peeling. CONCLUSION: ILM peeling in conjunction with vitrectomy and peeling of peripheral membranes is an effective technique with a high anatomic success rate in the challenging scenario of PVR-related recurrent detachments. We describe the technique as an alternative to the traditional retinectomy.

Risk factors for community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in an outbreak of disease among military trainees in San Diego, California, in 2002.

An outbreak of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) skin infections was observed in a population of U.S. military trainees in the summer of 2002. A questionnaire was developed and administered to 206 trainees, 22 of whom had MRSA infections. Factors associated with infection were described by multivariable logistic regression modeling and included having a roommate in training with a prior skin infection (odds ratio [OR] = 3.44) or having a family member or friend who worked in a health care setting (OR = 2.79). Previous antibiotic use, hospitalization, or health problems were not associated with MRSA infection. This outbreak of MRSA skin infections in an otherwise-healthy, well-defined, military population provided an opportunity to describe risk factors for CA-MRSA which may help focus prevention efforts in this and other communities.