Complementary treatment of contact lens-induced corneal ulcer using honey: a case report.

The aim of this study was to report the complementary use of honey for treatment of a contact lens-induced corneal ulcer. A 23-year-old contact lens user presented with a corneal ulcer in her left eye. She had visual acuity reduced to hand movement. There was a history of wearing contact lenses while swimming in a lake seven days before presentation. The cultures from corneal scrapings and contact lenses were positive for Klebsiella oxytoca, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Pseudomonas spp. The treatment with topical levofloxacin and 25% (w/v) γ-irradiated honeydew honey solution was effective and the patient achieved final best corrected visual acuity of affected eye. In addition to positive clinical outcome, honeydew honey was shown to be highly effective in vitro against ocular isolates, in particular S. maltophilia. The minimal inhibitory concentrations for honeydew honey ranged from 5% to 10%. These results demonstrate that honey is a promising antibacterial agent in management of corneal ulcers. Moreover, honey exhibits anti-biofilm and anti-inflammatory properties, and thus becomes an interesting ophthalmologic agent.

Honey prophylaxis reduces the risk of endophthalmitis during perioperative period of eye surgery.

Endophthalmitis following eye surgery remains a rare but serious complication. Topical fluoroquinolones have been used as prophylactic agents against endophthalmitis. However, the emerging resistance of ocular pathogens to fluoroquinolones may preclude their routine use. Honey, a natural antimicrobial product with wound healing properties, is a promising candidate for the prophylaxis of endophthalmitis. The goal of this study was to determine whether 25% (w/v) honey solution is effective in eradicating bacterial ocular pathogens in the perioperative period in patients scheduled for cataract surgery or vitrectomy, and to compare its efficacy to 0.3% ofloxacin. In this pilot study, 101 patients were randomized to honey (n = 49) or ofloxacin (n = 52) treatment. In both groups, eye drops were administered five times a day for 7 days before and 5 days after surgery. Before administration of the antibacterial agents, 18 and 25 isolates were detected in the ofloxacin and honey group, respectively. After 7 days of administration, four isolates (coagulase-negative Staphylococcus) were detected in each therapeutic group. No significant difference in antibacterial effect was found between groups. These results indicate that honey may act as a prophylactic agent of endophthalmitis; however, further studies are needed to characterize its ocular penetration properties.

Experience with preventive genetic testing of corneal donors in slovakia.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was (1) to detect asymptomatic carriers of the prion protein gene mutation E200K, which is associated with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), in corneal donors and in the general population of Slovakia and (2) to assess the genetic testing of corneal donors as an effective preventive measure against iatrogenic infection in a country with an unusually high incidence of genetic CJD. METHODS: The prion protein gene (PRNP) was analyzed in 1133 corneal donors and 970 control subjects to search for E200K mutation and to determine the genotype at codon 129. RESULTS: Mutation E200K was found in 2 of the 1133 donors and in 4 of the 970 control subjects. The most frequent genotype at the codon 129 polymorphic region was methionine homozygous (48% of donors and controls). CONCLUSIONS: An E200K mutation, which confers a risk of developing genetic CJD, was detected in corneal donors and in the general population. The majority of subjects were codon 129 methionine homozygous that increases susceptibility to CJD. Genetic testing of corneal donors in Slovakia is a useful and effective preventive measure against iatrogenic CJD through human corneal transplantation in the investigated population.