Impact of Clinician Subjectivity on the Assessment of Dry Eye Disease Prevalence in a UK Public Health Care Patient Population.

Purpose: To understand the impact of subjectivity on diagnosis rates of dry eye disease (DED) in an unbiased population. Patients and Methods: A multicenter study enrolled 818 subjects with complete report forms (465 females, 67.1 ± 16.7 years, 353 males, 65.0 ± 15.9 years). Subjects were evaluated for staining, TBUT, tear osmolarity, meibomian gland disease, and OSDI. Results: Physicians diagnosed 48.7% of subjects as having DED, ranging from 42.9% to 62.3% between sites. Positivity rates for staining (≥ grade 1) ranged from 41.3% to 84.1% (mean = 0.8 ± 0.9 grade), TBUT (<10s) ranged from 39.1% to 61.6% (mean = 10.4 ± 6.6 seconds), osmolarity (>308 mOsm/L) ranged from 63.7% to 72.4% (mean = 319.7 ± 20.8), MGD grading ranged from 28.9% to 51.3% (mean = 0.5 ± 0.7), and symptoms measured by OSDI ranged from 57.6% to 71.0% (mean = 23.5 ± 20.5) between sites. Tear osmolarity was the most consistent between sites (max/min positivity = 114%), followed by OSDI (123%), TBUT (158%), MGD (178%), and staining (204%). DED markers were uncorrelated (average r2 = 0.05 ± 0.07). A substantial number of subjects (N = 110) exhibited positive symptoms (OSDI = 32.4 ± 15.7) and hyperosmolarity (338.1 ± 20.1 mOsm/L) but no other obvious signs of DED (MGD grade = 0.2 ± 0.4, TBUT = 13.5 ± 7.0 seconds, staining grade = 0.4 ± 0.5). Conclusion: Subjective signs of DED varied considerably, whereas objective measurements of OSDI and osmolarity were the most consistent between sites. A large proportion of subjects exhibited high symptoms and hyperosmolarity but no other obvious signs of dry eye disease, most of whom were undiagnosed by clinical assessment without access to the osmolarity measurement.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease associated with recurrent optic neuritis.

The factors precipitating central nervous system (CNS) demyelination, including optic neuritis, remain largely unknown but are likely to represent a complex interplay between the patient's environment and their genetic background. We report the development of sequential demyelinating optic neuritis in a patient with genetically confirmed Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A, a hereditary neuropathy. This neuropathy is characterized by duplication of peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22), which results in structurally abnormal peripheral myelin. By characterizing peripheral T-cell responses in this patient to a panel of myelin epitopes expressed in the CNS we describe an immunological process which indicates that overexpression of PMP22 may be causative and account for this association.

Injectable 1-piece hydrophilic acrylic toric intraocular lens for cataract surgery: efficacy and stability.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and rotational stability of an injectable 1-piece hydrophilic acrylic toric intraocular lens (IOL). SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, Hillingdon Hospital, Uxbridge, Middlesex, United Kingdom. DESIGN: Cohort study. METHODS: This study enrolled consecutive patients who had 2.00 diopters (D) or more of preexisting corneal astigmatism. Patients had phacoemulsification with implantation of a T-flex 623T toric IOL through a 2.8 mm astigmatically neutral incision. Uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected (CDVA) distance visual acuities (logMAR), refraction, keratometry, and the cylinder axis of the toric IOL were measured. RESULTS: Thirty-three eyes of 25 patients were evaluated. The mean preoperative refractive astigmatism was 3.35 D ± 1.20 (SD) and the mean keratometric astigmatism, 3.98 ± 1.89 D, respectively. Four months postoperatively, the mean UDVA was 0.28 ± 0.23 D logMAR, improving to 0.19 ± 0.23 D logMAR CDVA. The mean refractive astigmatism was 0.95 D ± 0.66 D; vector analysis using the Holladay-Cravy-Koch method showed that the mean reduction in refractive astigmatism was 2.94 ± 0.89 D. The mean difference between the intended and the actual final IOL cylinder axis was 3.44 degrees (range 0 to 12). CONCLUSIONS: The toric IOL reduced visually significant keratometric astigmatism and increased spectacle independence after cataract surgery. There were no cases of significant IOL rotation in the capsular bag 4 months postoperatively.

Effect of the angle of the operating microscope light beam on visual recovery after phacoemulsification: Randomized trial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate differences in visual recovery after phacoemulsification with direct or tilted surgical microscope illumination using a macular photostress test. SETTING: Western Eye Hospital, Imperial College Health Care National Health Service Trust, London, United Kingdom. METHODS: This randomized double-masked controlled trial enrolled patients presenting to a daycare unit for single-eye cataract surgery. Inclusion criteria were no ocular pathology other than cataract, corneal keratometric astigmatism less than 1.50 diopters, intended target of emmetropia in the operated eye, and cataract grade 1 to 3 (Lens Opacification Classification System II). Exclusion criteria were an abnormal preoperative photostress test. Patients were randomized to have phacoemulsification with the operating microscope angled 15 degrees nasal to the fovea (study group) or with the operating microscope directly overhead around the optic disc region (control group). The same surgeon performed all phacoemulsification procedures using a standardized technique and topical anesthesia. Outcome measures were uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected (CDVA) distance visual acuity 10 minutes and 60 minutes postoperatively. RESULTS: In the 30 patients evaluated, the mean UDVA 10 minutes postoperatively was 0.40 logMAR +/- 0.26 (SD) in the study group and 0.72 +/- 0.36 logMAR in the control group (P<.01). The mean CDVA was 0.18 +/- 0.26 logMAR and 0.44 +/- 0.30 logMAR, respectively (P = .016). There was no significant between-group difference in acuity at 60 minutes. CONCLUSION: Tilting the microscope beam away from the fovea resulted in faster visual recovery and less macular photic stress. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.

Comparison of three techniques for repair of involutional lower lid entropion: a three-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to quantify the efficacy of three different surgical techniques for entropion repair in a 3-year follow-up study: (1) the Fox procedure, (2) everting sutures and (3) a modified technique of lower lid retractor plication. METHODS: We included in our study 32 eyelids of 32 consecutive patients with involutional lower lid entropion; 10 lids underwent the Fox procedure, 13 the everting sutures and 9 the modified retractor plication. We evaluated the pre- and postoperative horizontal lid laxity (HLL), the pre- and postoperative lower lid excursion (LLE) and the number of recurrences in each patient group. Statistical analysis was performed with the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test and the exact Fisher's test where appropriate. RESULTS: Only the modified retractor plication technique showed statistically significant differences in HLL and LLE (p < 0.05). In the group treated with this technique, there was a lower incidence of entropion recurrence (p < 0.05). The everting suture technique showed a statistically significant improvement of the LLE only (p < 0.05). The Fox procedure did not show any statistically significant improvement of the studied parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The modified retractor plication technique gave the best results in terms of improvement of HLL and LLE and a lower incidence of entropion recurrence compared to the two other techniques studied.