Trachipleistophora hominis: molecular characterization of a rare pathogen causing microsporidial stromal keratitis.

The authors report the clinical and microbiological findings of a unique case of stromal keratitis caused by a rare microsporidium, Trachipleistophora hominis. This case of stromal keratitis was in a 49-year-old male with a history of COVID-19 infection and diabetes mellitus. Corneal scraping specimens revealed numerous microsporidia spores upon microscopic examination. PCR of the corneal button revealed the presence of T. hominis infection, which could be controlled by penetrating keratoplasty surgery. The graft was clear with no recurrence of infection until the last follow-up 6 weeks postsurgery. This is the first case of human stromal keratitis caused by this organism in a post-COVID infection, confirmed by molecular diagnosis.

Clinical Utility of COVID-19 Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction Testing of Ocular Tissues of Non-COVID-19 Cornea Donors Deemed Suitable for Corneal Retrieval and Transplantation.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in human postmortem ocular tissues of asymptomatic donors and its implications on our eye banking protocols. METHODS: The expression of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in corneal rims and conjunctival tissues from 100 donors who were found suitable for transplantation as per the donor screening guidelines of the Global Alliance of Eye Bank Associations. The donor's clinical history and cause of death were assessed for secondary analysis. RESULTS: Of 200 ocular tissues (100 corneal and 100 conjunctival) from the same 1 eye of 100 surgical-intended donors, between September 2020 and April 2021, the overall positivity rate for SARS-CoV-2 was ∼1% (2/200). Both the ocular samples that tested positive were conjunctival biopsies (2/100, 2%), whereas corneal samples were negative (0/100, 0%) in both donors. The causes of donor death were trauma in 51 donors, suicide in 33, cardiac arrest in 7, electric shock in 5, metabolic cause in 2, malignancy in 1, and snake bite in 1. None of the donors had a medical history suggestive of COVID infection or possible contact. None of the recipients from the donors were reported to have any systemic adverse event after keratoplasty until the follow-up of 6 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The overall prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 was 1% (2% for conjunctival and 0% for corneal samples, P value = 0.5) in the donors who were found suitable for cornea recovery and transplantation. The findings of exceptionally low positive rates in our samples validate the criticality of history-based donor screening and do not support the necessity of postmortem PCR testing as a criterion for procurement and subsequent use for corneal transplantation.

Year one of COVID-19 pandemic in India: Effect of lockdown and unlock on trends in keratoplasty at a tertiary eye centre.

PURPOSE: To describe the impact of lockdown and unlock phases of the COVID-19 pandemic on keratoplasty trends at a tertiary eye care center in India. METHODS: This cross-sectional hospital-based study included 6,277 patients presenting between March 25, 2017 and March 31, 2021. The data of the patients who underwent keratoplasty during the lockdown and unlock phases were compared with the respective periods in the previous three years before COVID-19. RESULTS: During the year one of pandemic, there was a 29.46% decline in the total number of keratoplasty performed at the institute compared to previous year's annual numbers. The patients undergoing keratoplasty decreased by 90.28% (28/288) of pre-COVID-19 volumes during the lockdown phase. This was mainly because of a 40.6% reduction in the proportion of patients requiring interstate travel. There was complete recovery in the number of patients undergoing keratoplasty to 129.27% (184/142) of pre-COVID-19 volumes by March 2021. This gradual incremental trend was seen across all types of keratoplasty in Descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty (135.29%), penetrating keratoplasty (117.6%), therapeutic keratoplasty (122.22%), anterior lamellar keratoplasty (150%), and Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (141.18%) by March 2021 with the gradual ease of lockdown regulations. The eye bank affiliated to the institute saw a 55.44% decline in donor cornea collection and an increase in utilization rate from 58.12% in previous years to 83.78% in year one of the pandemic. The overall eye bank donor cornea collection recovered to 86.96% (627/721) and tissue utilization increased by 109.99% (455/414) by March 2021. CONCLUSION: The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic saw an overall reduction of 29.46% of the patients undergoing keratoplasty at the institute. There was a gradual and incremental increase in all types of keratoplasty in the unlock phase, which surpassed the preceding years' monthly numbers in February and March.

Changing trend in the morphology of cataracts at a tertiary eye care centre in South India due to COVID-19-pandemic related national lockdown.

Purpose: To study the changing trends in the morphology of cataracts at a tertiary eye care center in South India due to COVID-19 pandemic-related national lockdown. Methods: A retrospective study conducted at a tertiary eye care center in Andhra Pradesh state of South India, which included 1724 patients (1753 eyes) who underwent cataract surgery at our center during April 2019-July 2019 (1298 eyes of 1271 patients) and April 2020-July 2020 (455 eyes of 453 patients). Factors studied included preoperative lens status, associated phacodonesis or subluxation, pupil size, other eye lens status, associated retinal problems, glaucoma, and complications during surgery. Postoperative uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), corneal clarity, intraocular pressure (IOP), and disc status at postoperative day 1, 1 week, and 1-month visits were compared. Results: A significantly lower proportion of nuclear sclerosis (decreased from 83.2% in last year before lockdown to 55.2% during lockdown) and significantly higher proportions of mature, brown, or black cataract and phacomorphic, phacolytic, or Morgagnian cataract (increased from 15.5% in last year before lockdown to 43.8% during lockdown) were observed. The proportion of small-incision cataract surgery decreased significantly (from 63.2% to 57.4%), whereas the proportion of phacoemulsification increased significantly (from 35.9% to 41.5%) during lockdown as compared to last year. A significantly higher proportion of eyes with small pupils and association with retinal pathology were also observed during the lockdown. Conclusion: During the national lockdown, there was a shift from nuclear sclerosis grade toward mature, brown, black grade of cataracts. In addition, the proportion of small-incision cataract surgery decreased significantly whereas the proportion of phacoemulsification increased significantly during the lockdown. More number of cataracts with small pupils and associated retinal pathology were observed during the lockdown.

Impact of COVID-19 related national lockdown on care of corneal transplantation patients at a tertiary eye care centre in India.

PURPOSE: To study impact of COVID-19 related national lockdown on care of corneal transplantation patients at a tertiary eye centre in Andhra Pradesh state of South India. METHODS: Cross-sectional questionnaire-based study conducted at tertiary eye care centre in Andhra Pradesh state of South India, included 109 patients who underwent keratoplasty(full thickness or partial thickness) at our centre and who came for follow-up visit after lockdown. Factors such as type, indication, number of keratoplasties in the operated eye, and unusual clinical outcomes identified during visit after the lockdown, were studied. Uncorrected visual acuity, best corrected visual acuity, clarity of graft, graft-host junction apposition, intactness of sutures, intraocular pressure and disc status were compared on visits made before and after lockdown. RESULTS: During lockdown, 77.1% patients were properly using medications that was significantly (P = 0.0003) lower than that of before the lockdown (90.8%). After the lockdown, 82.3% patients were using medications properly that was comparable (P = 0.11) to that of during the lockdown (77.1%). The proportion of eyes with clear grafts and intact sutures decreased significantly after lockdown. The unusual outcomes observed after the lockdown were graft failure (36.7%), graft edema (11%), graft infiltrate(5.5%), phthysis bulbi (1.85%) and edematous graft cleared in eyes 3.7% eyes. CONCLUSION: We noted significant drop in usage of medications from 91% before lockdown to 77% during lockdown and maintained at 83% after lockdown. Edematous grafts increased from 41% before lockdown to 54% after the lockdown. Intactness of sutures decreased from 82% before lockdown to 69% after lockdown.

Response of L V Prasad Eye Institute to COVID-19 outbreak in India: experience at its tertiary eye care centre and adoption to its Eye Health Pyramid.

AIM: To summarize the experience of response to COVID-19 outbreak at a tertiary eye care institute and its network of health facilities in India. METHODS: Our responses are based on the principles of social distancing, hand hygiene, respiratory etiquettes, surface disinfection protocol, and rational use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). We describe our response in terms of administrative controls, clinical protocols, staff protection, environmental controls, and social distancing measures. We also discuss our communication strategies and monitoring systems, to ensure compliance to protocols. RESULTS: Administrative control is mainly related to formation of task force and its functions. Clinical protocols are related to patient triaging methods and clinical examination guidelines in Outpatient, Inpatient and Operating Room. Staff protection is focused on training staff on the protocols to be followed in hospital as well as at home, and use of PPE. Environmental protocol is focused on cleaning and disinfectant methods to be used in the hospital. In addition, there are systems for communication as well as monitoring compliance to protocols. CONCLUSION: We hope that these protocols and our experience would help the ophthalmic community globally and serve as a guide to protect ophthalmologists and ophthalmic care personnel, and their patients across the world.