A Study of Patient Concerns and Return to Daily Life after Strabismus Surgery

PURPOSE: To investigate preoperative concerns and expectations of caretakers and patients who underwent strabismus surgery and the patients course of return to daily life. METHODS: Eighty-five strabismus surgery patients were enrolled in this study. We performed a questionnaire survey including 11 questions about the concerns, expectations of strabismus surgery and the course of return to daily life after surgery. In total, 25 adult patients and 60 children with their caretakers were asked to fill out the questionnaire. RESULTS: The results showed that 77% of all patients and their caretakers expected that the strabismus would be cured after a single operation. The greatest concern before surgery was the possibility of strabismus recurrence (60%). Fifty five percent of the patients reported the use of an eye patch for 2 weeks to 1 month after surgery and 88% of them showed a 75-100% increase in performance after the operation. The most common reason for decreased performance was the use of an eye patch (61%). Most patients returned to normal daily activities within 1 to 2 weeks after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Proper preoperative explanation about the possibility of recurrence may reduce concerns and false expectations about surgical outcomes. It appears to take 1 to 2 weeks for patients to return to their daily lives.

A Study of Factors Related to the Course of Graves' Ophthalmopathy

PURPOSE: To investigate the risk factors related to the course of Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO). METHODS: This is a retrospective study of 125 patients who were referred to our clinic and diagnosed with GO from March 2006 to August 2008. Ophthalmic examinations and a thyroid function test including TSI were performed at the time of diagnosis and every 3 months after diagnosis. All patients were classified as having a mild or severe course of GO, according to Clinical Activity Score (CAS) and NOSPECS classifications. RESULTS: This statistical analysis of each group revealed that female sex (p = 0.04), age (p = 0.0004), smoking (p = 0.003), and high TSI level (p = 0.009) were significant factors for severe course of GO at the time of diagnosis. TSI levels at each of the 3 visits during the follow-up were significantly higher in patients with a severe course of GO, as compared to patients with a mild course of GO (first visit: p = 0.003, second visit: p = 0.002, third visit: p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Female sex, age, smoking, and high TSI level appear to be the risk factors that can predict the severity of GO at the time of diagnosis. Additionally, the TSI level can reflect the severity of GO during the follow-up periods.

Poliosis of Eyelashes as an Unusual Sign of a Halo Nevus

A 39-year-old man with poliosis of his lower eyelid lashes visited our clinic. He reported that his symptoms began with a few central lashes and then spread along the adjacent lashes during the ensuing 2 weeks. A pigmented nevus, approximately 4 mm in diameter, was identified just above the white lashes without surrounding skin depigmentation. No specific findings were identified with regard to the patient's general health or serologic and radiologic testing. Excisional biopsy of the pigmented nevus was performed. On histopathologic examination, infiltration of the dermis by numerous lymphocytes and melanophages was observed. The poliosis was ultimately diagnosed as a presenting sign of the halo phenomenon in the regressive stage of a melanocytic nevus.