Intraoperative use of indocyanine green and trypan blue mixed with fibrin glue in the excision of periocular cystic lesions.

PURPOSE: This case series describes the use of tissue fibrin glue mixed with dye to facilitate the excision of eight orbital and periorbital cystic lesions of various complexity. OBSERVATIONS: The fibrin glue was colored with indocyanine green dye (ICG) or trypan blue and injected intraoperatively into the lesions. The glue was then allowed to harden, and the lesions were excised. The dyed glue outlined the wall of the cysts, kept them formed and allowed for complete excision with ease. None of the cases had recurrence. As an observation, ICG showed superior delineation than trypan blue. CONCLUSIONSAND IMPORTANCE: The use of colored fibrin glue is a helpful technique in the delineation and excision of cystic lesions. Delineating the wall of the cyst with the dyed glue simplified the surgery and prevented complications such as injury to surrounding vital structures and reduced the likelihood of recurrence. ICG may be superior to trypan blue but a comparative controlled study is needed to assess the difference.

Benzalkonium chloride-induced denervation of orbicularis oculi muscle in rabbits.

PURPOSE: To examine the potential for benzalkonium chloride (BAK) to cause denervation of the orbicularis oculi muscle (OOM) in a rabbit model. METHODS: Pigmented rabbits were separated into five groups consisting of five rabbits each. Group 1 was injected with 1 mL of BAK 0.25% in the OOM of the upper eyelid. Group 2 was injected with 1 mL of BAK 0.5%. Group 3 included untreated controls. Groups 4 and 5 underwent surgical severing of the facial nerve (to cause complete paralysis of the OOM). Strength-duration curves for electrical stimulation of muscle twitches were measured for each group and chronaxie values were calculated to determine innervation status. Groups 1 and 4 were stimulated at 1 week postintervention while groups 2 and 5 were stimulated at 4 weeks postintervention. The rabbits were then sacrificed and the eyelids sent for histological analysis. RESULTS: In group 1, all five rabbits demonstrated denervation of the OOM in the injected area. In group 2, one rabbit developed an abscess at the injection site and was sacrificed at 1 week. Of the remaining four rabbits, two showed complete denervation and two showed denervation with evidence of partial reinnervation. The histology demonstrated marked atrophy of the OOM for BAK-treated rabbits when compared with controls. In group 3, all five rabbits showed normal OOM function. In groups 4 and 5, all rabbits showed denervation of the OOM and histological evidence of muscle atrophy similar to groups 1 and 2. CONCLUSIONS: BAK causes denervation when injected into the OOM in rabbits. The clinical relevance of this finding may be the onset of lagophthalmos and eyelid retraction in patients with chronic BAK exposure.

Reconstruction of total lower eyelid defects with the temporoparietal fascial flap.

Purpose. To describe the use of the temporoparietal fascial flap (TPF) in the reconstruction of extensive lower eyelid defects in a functioning eye. Methods. We present a surgical case report of a 73-year-old female with melanoma of the left lower eyelid. The lower eyelid was resected, and a composite nasal cartilage-mucosa graft, a skin graft, and a TPF were used to reconstruct the lower eyelid. Results. This achieved reconstruction of the lower eyelid with the protection of the eye and preservation of the visual system function. Conclusion. The TPF serves as a good option for reconstruction of the lower eyelid in a viable functioning globe.

Effect of surgical correction of congenital ptosis on amblyopia.

PURPOSE: To determine if amblyopia improves following surgical correction of congenital ptosis. METHODS: Clinical records from 130 congenital ptosis patients presenting to the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Department of Ophthalmology between January 1999 and April 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. Patient ages ranged from 2 months to 17 years old. Amblyopia was defined as best-corrected visual acuity of less than 20/40 and greater than 2 Snellen lines of difference between the 2 eyes. In younger patients, amblyopia was defined by a lack of fixation in the ptotic eye compared with the nonptotic one. All patients diagnosed with amblyopia were treated with occlusion therapy. RESULTS: Of the 130 patients, amblyopia was found in 21.5% (28/130), associated strabismus was found in 16.2% (21/130), and associated anisometropia was found in 14.6% (19/130). There were 50 congenital ptosis patients treated surgically. Of these patients, using an upper age limit of 8 years, 15 patients were diagnosed with preoperative amblyopia (37.5%) reducing to 2 patients (5%, p < 0.005) postoperatively (average follow-up 19.8 months). There were 40 congenital ptosis patients without associated anisometropia or strabismus treated surgically. In this group, using an upper age limit of 8 years, 9 (27%) were diagnosed with preoperative amblyopia reducing to 1 (3%, p < 0.0196) postoperatively (average follow-up 18.1 months). No new cases of amblyopia were diagnosed postoperatively. Comparatively, in the nonsurgical group, amblyopia was present on initial examination in 8.7% (2/23), and was present in 17% (4/23) of these patients at follow-up (mean, 17.2 months). CONCLUSION: Surgical correction of congenital ptosis may aid in the treatment of amblyopia.

Simultaneous presentation of Kimura disease and angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia.

Kimura disease and angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia are rare disease entities that can manifest as subcutaneous nodules, plaques, or papules of the head and neck, and less commonly the orbit and ocular adnexa. The merits of each entity have been debated with regard to whether they are truly individual or are separate points on a single spectrum. Current opinion favors the former. This clinicopathologic report of a patient who presented with a right lower eyelid mass with pathologic features consistent with Kimura disease and a left conjunctival mass with features consistent with angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia poses a challenge to the notion that these are distinct conditions.

Temporal fossa orbital decompression for treatment of disfiguring thyroid-related orbitopathy.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a technique for treating disfiguring thyroid-related orbitopathy by bony decompression into the temporal fossa and to analyze results. DESIGN: Retrospective, noncomparative case series with description of a surgical technique. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-three consecutive patients with disfiguring thyroid-related orbitopathy undergoing decompression into the temporal fossa with the described technique. INTERVENTION: Reduction in exophthalmos by removal of the lateral orbital wall and the greater sphenoid wing using an eyelid crease approach. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Amount of reduction in exophthalmos after surgery and incidence of induced postoperative diplopia. RESULTS: The average reduction in exophthalmos was 4.51 mm (range, 3-6 mm; standard deviation, +/-0.95 mm). New-onset postoperative diplopia was observed in 1 patient. CONCLUSIONS: Bony decompression of the orbit into the temporal fossa via an eyelid crease approach is an effective treatment for disfigurement in patients with thyroid-related orbitopathy and no preoperative diplopia.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus caruncle abscess.

A 60-year-old woman under treatment for a left lower eyelid abscess developed a right caruncle abscess. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was identified in cultures performed on both lesions. Treatment consisted of oral ciprofloxacin and moxifloxacin drops. There was resolution of both lesions with incision and drainage, and antibiotic therapy. MRSA is a pathogen that can be readily isolated from the caruncle. The authors are unaware of previous reported cases of a MRSA caruncle abscess.

Electrical stimulation of the paralyzed orbicularis oculi in rabbit.

Dysfunction of the seventh cranial nerve often results in facial paralysis and loss of the ability to blink the eye, which can lead to corneal scarring, diminished vision, and potential loss of the eye. This study investigated the potential of electrical stimulation of the orbicularis oculi muscle as a means of restoring blink function. An animal model of orbicularis paralysis was created by sectioning the seventh cranial nerve in rabbit. Twenty paralyzed and five normal rabbits were acutely implanted with a subcutaneous stimulating electrode near the margin of the upper eyelid. Biphasic current controlled stimulation pulses were delivered between implanted contacts at the medial and lateral edges of the eyelid. Strength-duration curves for lid twitch threshold were generated, and quantitative measurements of lid closure were made for systematically varied parameters including pulse amplitude, pulse width, number of pulses delivered, and duration of paralysis prior to stimulation. Normal rabbits achieved a greater degree of lid closure due to electrical stimulation than rabbits that had been surgically paralyzed. Of rabbits that had been paralyzed, those demonstrating evidence of at least partial reinnervation achieved a greater degree of lid closure than those demonstrating persistent denervation. Trains of 10 ms biphasic pulses delivered at 50 Hz were found to be the most effective means of eliciting lid closure for the range of parameters tested.

Kinematics of electrically elicited eyelid movement.

Electrical stimulation has demonstrated potential for reanimating eye blink following facial paralysis caused by damage to the seventh cranial nerve. This study investigated the kinematics of lid movement caused by electrical stimulation of the orbicularis oculi muscle in both normal rabbit and rabbit with surgically induced seventh nerve lesion.

Hertel curve: orbital volume increment and proptosis in a cadaver model.

PURPOSE: This study examined the relation between effective orbital volume increment and proptosis induced by an inflatable orbital implant in a human cadaver orbit. METHODS: A 25-ml inflatable latex balloon was inserted between the periorbita and orbital floor in 15 human cadavers. Hertel measurements were taken for each milliliter over a total 7-ml volume increment. Five trials per orbit for 15 cadavers resulted in 525 data points. RESULTS: Average exophthalmos per milliliter of volume increment was plotted over 7 ml, using 1-ml volume increments. The resultant curve, which was termed a Hertel curve, was linear over 7 ml (R > 99%) and had a slope of 0.62 mm per milliliter of volume increment. CONCLUSIONS: An inflatable orbital implant is an effective tool for introducing a specified amount of volume in the cadaver orbit. The predictable relation between proptosis and volume increment (Hertel curve) may be a useful tool for surgeons in planning the size of an implant required to surgically correct enophthalmos.

Simplified repair of zygomatic fractures through a transconjunctival approach.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a simplified technique of zygomatic fracture repair. DESIGN: Retrospective, noncomparative case series with description of a surgical technique. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty consecutive patients with zygomatic fractures undergoing repair with the described technique. INTERVENTION: Fracture repair was accomplished with a technique that used a T-bar screw for reduction through a transconjunctival approach. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Successful fracture reduction. RESULTS: Twenty patients with zygomatic fractures underwent successful reduction with the simplified technique. No complications were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the T-bar through a transconjunctival approach is a simplified and effective technique for zygomatic fracture repair.

Botulinum toxin for palliative treatment of epiphora in a patient with canalicular obstruction.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the use of botulinum toxin injection of the lacrimal gland for palliative treatment of epiphora secondary to canalicular obstruction from docetaxel therapy. DESIGN: Case report. INTERVENTION: A 50-year-old female with bilateral canalicular obstruction secondary to docetaxel therapy received botulinum toxin injections (5 units each) into the lacrimal glands of both eyes. RESULTS: Symptomatic epiphora of the affected eyes was reduced after 2 weeks. No side effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Botulinum toxin injection of the lacrimal gland is an effective palliative treatment for epiphora secondary to canalicular obstruction from docetaxel therapy.

Acquired lower eyelid epiblepharon in patients with thyroid eye disease.

PURPOSE: To describe a series of patients with acquired epiblepharon secondary to thyroid-related orbitopathy. METHODS: Retrospective case series of 9 patients with thyroid-related orbitopathy who had epiblepharon. RESULTS: Seven patients had epiblepharon in both lower eyelids and 2 patients had it in one lower eyelid. Six of the 9 patients were Asian. Each patient had punctate keratopathy. Epiblepharon resolved in all but one patient after treating coexisting manifestations of thyroid-related orbitopathy. One patient required epiblepharon repair. CONCLUSIONS: We describe a new finding of acquired epiblepharon in the setting of thyroid-related orbitopathy. The majority of patients have spontaneous resolution of the epiblepharon after other surgical procedures for thyroid-related orbitopathy.