Assessment of stereopsis in pediatric and adolescent spectacle-corrected refractive error – A cross-sectional study

Purpose: To assess the level of stereopsis in school children with spectacle?corrected refractive errors using Titmus fly and Randot stereo tests, evaluate the factors associated with the level of stereopsis, and determine the level of agreement between the two tests. Methods: A cross?sectional study was done on 5? to 18?year?old school?children wearing spectacles for at least 1?month duration. Visual acuity was assessed using Snellen’s visual acuity chart, and their spectacle correction being used currently was measured using an auto lensmeter. The level of stereopsis was assessed using Randot and Titmus fly stereo tests. Data were entered using Microsoft Excel and analyzed using IBM?SPSS version 20, Chicago, IL. The associations between stereopsis and type of refractive error, visual acuity, age, and gender were analyzed. An agreement between Randot and Titmus fly test was done using Kappa statistics. Results: A total of 222 children (101 boys and 121 girls; mean age 13 years) were assessed. Astigmatism was the most prevalent refractive error (60.4%), followed by myopia (24.8%) and hypermetropia (1.4%). Thirty children (13.5%) had anisometropia. All hyperopes had normal stereopsis. Children with spherical myopia had better stereopsis, followed by astigmatism and anisometropia in the same order (P = 0.036). Children with anisometropia ?1.5 D had better stereopsis than anisometropia more than 1.5 D. Stereopsis was also found to have no correlation with the age and visual acuity at the time of testing or the age at which the child first started wearing spectacles. Stereopsis values obtained from Randot and Titmus fly stereo tests showed moderate agreement with Kappa value 0.581. Conclusion: Anisometropia and astigmatism are the most critical factors determining the level of stereopsis in refractive errors

Evaluating Neonates With Antenatal Hyderonephrosis Using a Standard Protocol: An Audit of Hospital Records

Aims: To audit the extent of evaluation of neonates with antenatal hydronephrosis. Methods:Records of all neonates with antenatal hydronephrosis between January 2013 andDecember 2016 were audited to look for patient factors and investigation results. Results:290 records were evaluated, 93 (32%) of which had abnormalities detected on voidingcystourethrogram. In the presence of hydroureter, 65% had an abnormality while in theabsence only 11% were abnormal. In the presence of pelvis ?20 mm, 93% had abnormaldiuretic renogram, while with pelvis <20 mm, only 1.5% were abnormal (P=0.001). Numbersneeded to harm calculation revealed 1 in 2 patients would receive an unnecessary voidingcystourethrogram in the absence of hydroureter, and unnecessary diuretic renogram whenpelvis <20 mm. Conclusions: While evaluating neonates with antenatal hydronephrosisinvasive tests can be limited, if evaluation is guided by ultrasonographic criteria.

Horseshoe Kidney: A Multidetector Computed Tomography Study.

Background and Objective:Horseshoe kidney is themost common renal fusion anomalywith a reported prevalence of 1 in 400 persons with a male to female ratio of 2:1. In many cases its presence may go unnoticed and undiagnosed because the patient may remain asymptomatic throughout life. The objective of our study is to report radiological and anatomical features of horseshoe kidney detected incidentally during retrospective evaluation of multidetector computed tomography scans. Materials and Methods: Contrast enhanced multidetector computed tomography scans of 682 patients, 355 males and 327 females, were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Seven cases of horseshoe kidney were detected incidentally, sixmales and one female,with an incidence of 1.02%. In all cases,malrotation of the kidneyswere observedwith the hilumfacing anteriorly or anterolaterally. The isthmus was made up of parenchymal tissue in all the cases and the fusion was midline in four cases and lateral in three cases. Horseshoe kidney in all cases was supplied by multiple renal arteries, varying from 3 to 6. In three cases symmetrical arterial supply and in the rest asymmetrical supplywas observed. Nephrolithiasis and hydronephrosis were noted in two patients. No other associated congenital anomaly was observed in all seven patients. Conclusion: Contrast enhanced multidetector computed tomography evaluation of patients with horseshoe kidney provide excellent information about its vascularity, collecting system and other associated conditions.

Nine years’ review on preseptal and orbital cellulitis and emergence of community–acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococus aureus in a tertiary hospital in India.

Context: Preseptal cellulitis is the commonest orbital disease which frequently needs to be differentiated from orbital cellulitis. Prompt diagnosis and treatment with appropriate antibiotics can prevent vision loss and life-threatening complications of orbital cellulitis. Aims: To describe the clinical profile of cases with preseptal and orbital cellulitis admitted to a tertiary care hospital during a period of nine years. The causative organisms and the clinical outcome were analyzed. Settings and Design: Retrospective descriptive case study done in a tertiary care hospital in South India. Material and Methods: The in-patient records of patients with preseptal and orbital cellulitis were reviewed from 1998 to 2006. The factors reviewed included ocular findings aiding in the distinction of the two clinical conditions, the duration of symptoms, the duration of hospital stay, microbiological culture report of pus or wound swab, blood culture, drugs used for treatment, the response to therapy and complications. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive analysis. Results: One hundred and ten cases, 77 patients with preseptal cellulitis and 33 patients with orbital cellulitis were reviewed. Five percent of children and 21% of adults presented with cutaneous anthrax contributing to preseptal cellulitis. Thirty-nine percent cases with orbital cellulitis were caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Conclusions: This study has helped in identifying organisms which cause orbital infections, especially community-acquired MRSA. It indicates the need for modifying our empirical antimicrobial therapy, especially in orbital cellulitis.

Aspergilosis del sistema nervioso central: presentación de dos casos / Central nervous system aspergyllosis: presentation of two cases

Objective: to describe and analyze two cases of CNS aspergillosis.Description: case 1: a 76 years old female, with a medical story of DM type 2 and high blood pressure, complained of headaches and left side hearing loss since 6 months before. The MRI showed a left temporal bone lesion that enhanced with contrast, including the petrous bone cerebellar surface. Case 2: a 23 years old female with an acute hepatic failure of unknown origin, ten days after she was transplanted went into coma, requiring endotraqueal intubation. A CT scan showed a bihemispheric subcortical hipodensity and a lumbar puncture showed hiperproteinoraquia with pleocitosis. Intervention. In case 1, a biopsy performed through a retrosigmoid approach was informed as aspergillosis. She received voriconazole. In case 2, at the 12° postoperative day a brain biopsy showed aspergillosis. The patient died on day 13° after surgery of multiorganic failure and cardio-respiratory arrest. The necropsy showed a disseminated aspergillosis infection that affected lungs, liver, heart, skin, brain, colon and kidneys. Conclusion: the results obtained with the treatment in both patients were in accordance with the outcome severity of aspergillosis as was described in the reports reviewed.

A Coverage Evaluation Survey of JE Vaccination in Two Districts of Karnataka.

A coverage evaluation survey was conducted in Mandya and Koppal districts of Karnataka state following the Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccination campaign. The purposes of the survey were to assess coverage of children in target age group by JE vaccination and to assess adverse events following immunisation against JE, the knowledge of health care providers and community about JE & mass vaccination for JE. The study design consisted of both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative data was used to know the coverage levels for children. The qualitative data collected through interviews of head of the family in the sample households, selected health care workers using a structured pretested questionnaire. The standard cluster sampling method was used for selecting the sample of children to be evaluated. In Mandya district the evaluation showed 92 % coverage in the selected sample of 313 children against the reported 83.85 %. In Koppal district the evaluation showed 70 % coverage, among the selected sample of 251 children, against the reported coverage of 69.8 %. The incidence of adverse events was 4% in Mandya sample and 6.37 % in Koppal sample. In Mandya district, about 42 % of households had knowledge of JE. About 68 % of households had prior knowledge of the immunization day. In Koppal district, the survey has revealed that only 19.85 % of the heads of household had the knowledge of JE and 48.53% had the knowledge of JE vaccination before the day of vaccination campaign.

Efficacy of intraoperative vancomycin in irrigating solutions on aqueous contamination during phacoemulsification.

PURPOSE: To study the efficacy of adding vancomycin in irrigating solutions, in comparison to topical antibiotic given preoperatively for a day, during phacoemulsification, in reducing the anterior chamber (AC) contamination. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was a prospective, interventional, hospital-based study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a study involving 400 eyes of 400 paitens, undergoing routine phacoemulsification between January 2004 and June 2006. The patients were non-randomly assigned to two groups: Group 1 included 180 patients, who received topical ciprofloxacin eye-drops (four-hourly) for a day preoperatively and Group 2 included 220 patients, who underwent phacoemulsification with vancomycin (20 microg/ml) in the irrigating solution. Anterior chamber aspirate obtained at the end of the surgery was sent for microbial workup. The number of positive cultures in both the groups was determined. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: This was performed using Chi-square test. Results: Aqueous samples showed microbial growth in 38 (21.1%) out of 180 eyes in Group 1 and in 17 (7.7%) out of 220 eyes in Group 2 ( P = 0.001). Coagulase-negative staphylococcus was the most common organism in both the groups. Aqueous samples from four eyes in group 1 showed multiple organisms, while none of the sample from group 2 showed more than one organism. None of the eyes in either group showed fungal contamination. One patient in Group 1 developed endophthalmitis, and the causative organism was Alcaligenes faecalis. All patients were followed up for a minimum of six months (range: 6 to 14 months and mean: 9.3 months). CONCLUSION: Addition of vancomycin in irrigating solutions is more efficacious in reducing AC contamination in comparison to topical antibiotic administered a day preoperatively.

Effectiveness of tolterodine in nonneurogenic voiding dysfunction.

The efficacy of tolterodine was analysed in children with non-neurogenic voiding dysfunction, using dysfunctional voiding symptom score (DVSS). Of 44 patients (mean age 9.3 yrs; M:F = 25:19), 36 received long acting tolterodine tartrate at a dose of 2mg OD and 8 at a dose of 4mg OD. The mean (SD) DVSS before and after the treatment was 17.1 (2.8) and 12.0 (2.4). There was a significant improvement in the mean DVSS score at the end of the treatment (Students t test P < 0.01). The dysfunctional symptoms were cured in 28(63.6 %), improved in 14(31.8 %) and failed to show improvement in 2 (4.6 %). Over all 95 % were compliant with the single daily medication. Our results demonstrate that long acting tolterodine is effective in children with voiding dysfunction. The single daily dose has good compliance and minimal side effect profile.

Esthesioneuroblastomas with intracranial extension: proliferative potential and management

O índice proliferativo celular tumoral de 8 casos cirúrgicos de estesioneuroblastomas com extensäo intracraniana (9 com extensäo intracraniana em um total de 15, coletados de 1978 a 1992 no Hospital Nordstadt de Hannover, Alemanha) foi avaliado através do anticorpo monoclonal MIB-1, notando-se uma correlaçäo prognóstica. A maioria dos tumores revelou índice proliferativo alto (3 por cento a 42 por cento, média de 16 por cento) e a classificaçäo histopatológica de Hyam foi realizada. A ressecçäo foi radical em 100 por cento dos casos e o acesso cirúrgico combinado (paranasal e subfrontal) o preconizado. Os autores apresentam revisäo da literatura discutindo a sua casuística