Risk factors associated with pre-senile cataract

To determine frequency of various risk factors associated with presenile cataract among patients schedule for cataract surgery. Study was conducted at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Karachi Medical Dental College between October 2007 and September 2009. Patients of cataract of age 30-55 years were selected. Presence of risk factors like diabetes mellitus, high myopia, occupational exposure to metal work, atopic dermatitis and smoking were noted. Visual acuity, anterior and posterior segments were examined and axial length was measured. Two hundred fifty four patients satisfying inclusion criteria were selected. These included 181 male [mean age 44.7 years] and 73 females [mean age 43.8 years]. Unilateral eye involvement was present in 108 patients while bilateral involvement was present in 146 patients. Risk factors frequency was diabetes [26%], high myopia [16.1%], smoking [15%], metallic exposure [3.1%], atopic dermatitis [2%] while 37.8% were idiopathic. Significant difference were found in frequency of risk factors [p=0.004] and mean age according to presence of risk factors [p=0.001]. While no significant association was found of age with risk factors [p=0.7] and gender [p=0.24]. Our study shows that idiopathy contributed to most of the cases of presenile cataract followed by diabetes mellitus, high myopia and smoking

Recurrence rate of pterygium following surgical excision with intraoperative versus postoperative mitomycin-C

To compare the rate of recurrence and complications of pterygium following surgical excision by applying 0.02% mitomycin-C intraoperatively or using topical 0.02% mitomycin-C drops postoperatively. Randomized clinical trial. Baqai Medical University Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, from January 2001 to July 2005. Eighty-four eyes of 65 patients, aged between 20-70 years, with primary pterygium were randomly allocated into two groups using random tables. Patients with bilateral disease were treated with an interval of 10-14 days and randomized separately. In group-I, 0.02% mitomycin-C was applied intraoperatively for 3 minutes after pterygium excision. Group-II received mitomycin-C 0.02% eye drops twice a day for 2 weeks after pterygium excision. Patients were followed-up for pterygium recurrence for one year. Variables were compared for significance, using Pearson chi-square test. In Group I, recurrence of pterygium was seen in 4 [10.0%] eyes and superficial punctate keratitis in 4 [9.5%] eyes, while 8 [19.0%] eyes developed avascularization of sclera at the pterygium excision site. In group II, 8 [20.51%] eyes had pterygium recurrence [p=0.38], 13 [31.0%] eyes had superficial punctate keratitis and tenon cyst was seen in one [2.4%] eye. One [2.4%] eye in each group developed scleral thinning. There was no significant difference in pterygium recurrence rate intraoperatively or postoperative application of 0.02% mitomycin-C. Complications were comparatively less following application of intraoperative 0.02% mitomycin-C for 3 minutes