The first case of fungal endophthalmitis caused by Emericella nidulans after cataract surgery.

Emericella nidulans is a species that has only rarely been implicated in human disease after cataract surgery. Here, we report the first postoperative case in the literature, as far as we know. The patient was a 50-year-old patient presented with mild anterior uveitis one week after cataract surgery, and hypopion developed over the next two days. First microbiological evaluation and the results of direct microscopy and cultures of the anterior chamber and vitreous samples were found to be negative. Despite vigorous topical and intravitreal (vancomycin and amikacin) therapy, the endophthalmitis did not improve. Anterior chamber paracentesis, vitreous tap and finally complete vitrectomy with removal of the capsular bag including the intraocular lens (IOL) were performed. The anterior chamber, vitreous fluid samples and IOL were submitted to the microbiology laboratory: the culture yielded E. nidulans growth. Ocular inflammation resolved and vision improved on intravenous, subconjunctival and long-term oral voriconazole treatment. E. nidulans can be an important cause of ocular fungal infections including endophthalmitis, and voriconazole seems to be effective for the treatment of E. nidulans endophthalmitis.

Clustering of invasive Aspergillus ustus eye infections in a tertiary care hospital: a molecular epidemiologic study of an uncommon species.

Aspergillus infections are being increasingly recognized as an important cause of morbidity and blindness. We report here the first cluster of Aspergillus ustus endophthalmitis cases which occurred in a large tertiary care hospital during the period October 2003 to June 2004. In three of the cases, the patients required enucleation following cataract surgery, while the fourth involved a fatal infection in a pediatric patient hospitalized for osteopetrosis. Patient charts from the four cases were reviewed retrospectively and indicated that postoperative signs of fungal endophthalmitis developed in the patients 1-11 weeks after surgery. The molecular characterization of the isolates and their epidemiological relatedness were evaluated by Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD). A source investigation of this mini outbreak was performed by environmental sampling, but no isolates of A. ustus were recovered from these studies. All A. ustus strains isolated from three patients with fungal endophthalmitis had the same RAPD pattern suggesting a common source. The strain from the pediatric patient differed from the ophthalmic isolates in five electrophoretic loci. The latter was included solely as an outbreak, unrelated control to evaluate the discriminatory power of the molecular typing method employed in the analysis of the ophthalmic strains. These cases illustrate the potential for uncommon species like A. ustus to cause high morbidity and mortality in some clinical settings. Aspergillus ustus endophthalmitis is a serious and devastating complication of ocular surgery. It is unknown whether ongoing hospital construction may have contributed to this cluster of cases. Random amplification of polymorphic DNA may give valuable clues about the clonality of A. ustus strains.

Deadly weapon-related open-globe injuries: outcome assessment by the ocular trauma classification system.

PURPOSE: To describe mechanisms and injury characteristics influencing visual outcomes in eyes with open-globe injuries caused by deadly weapons and to apply the classification system introduced by the Ocular Trauma Classification Group. METHODS: Two-hundred-twenty-eight eyes of 212 consecutive patients, who were mostly injured in military confrontation, were analyzed. Mechanism and injury characteristics were evaluated for predicting visual outcome according to the recently studied classification system as well as other variables pertinent to this specific clinical setting of severe eye trauma. Final visual acuities were defined as favorable (5/200 or better) or unfavorable (less than 5/200, including enucleation). RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 23 years, and the mean follow-up was 5.7 months. The predictors for favorable visual outcome were type B, grade 1, zone I, and relative afferent pupillary defect-negative injuries. The predictors for unfavorable outcome were type A, grade 5, zone III, and relative afferent pupillary defect-positive injuries. Land mine and hand grenade injuries had the worst outcome among causative agents. Proliferative vitreoretinopathy, comprising 30.4% of postoperative failures, was the most common complication. CONCLUSION: Deadly weapon-related open-globe injuries, especially those associated with land mines and hand grenades, have devastating visual results. Evaluation of trauma mechanism and injury characteristics according to the Ocular Trauma Classification System seems to predict visual outcomes in this series of severe open-globe injuries.

Assessment of central and peripheral fusion and near and distance stereoacuity in intermittent exotropic patients before and after strabismus surgery.

PURPOSE: To determine whether central fusion and distance stereoacuity are useful as objective measures in assessing the need for and success of surgery for intermittent exotropia (X[T]). METHODS: A prospective, institutional, clinical trial was conducted of 26 consecutive patients with X(T) who were undergoing strabismus surgery in whom fusion (central and peripheral) and stereoacuity (at near and distance) were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively, as well as in 112 normal subjects. To obtain accurate measurements with sensory tests, the lower age was limited to 5 years for inclusion. A successful surgical alignment was defined as an exotropia of 10 prism diopters or less at 6 m. Sensory and motor outcome measures were determined 1 year after surgery. RESULTS: The successful surgical alignment rate was 69%. All patients with X(T) demonstrated peripheral fusion, whereas 35% demonstrated central suppression preoperatively and postoperatively. Central fusion was not predictive of surgical outcome (P = .078); however, there was a trend toward less surgical success in patients with central suppression. Patients with X(T) exhibited good near stereoacuity before and after surgery. Distance stereoacuity in patients with X(T) preoperatively was significantly diminished compared with normal subjects (P < .001) and was improved in 58% postoperatively. Patients who achieved successful surgical alignment had a greater likelihood of demonstrating distance stereoacuity improvement postoperatively than patients who failed to achieve successful surgical alignment (P = .003). Patients with central suppression were unlikely to improve their distance stereoacuity postoperatively (P = .014). CONCLUSIONS: Successful surgery may improve distance stereoacuity. Better distance stereoacuity and central fusion are frequently associated with better surgical success in X(T).

A comparative study of recurrent pterygium surgery: limbal conjunctival autograft transplantation versus mitomycin C with conjunctival flap.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the recurrence rate following treatment of recurrent pterygia using one of two techniques-limbal conjunctival autograft transplantation versus low-dose intraoperative mitomycin C (0.2 mg/ml) combined with conjunctival flap closure. DESIGN: Randomized clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty-one patients with recurrent pterygia treated by limbal conjunctival autograft transplantation (n= 41) or mitomycin C combined with conjunctival flap (n= 40) participated. INTERVENTION: Limbal conjunctival autograft transplantation or low-dose intraoperative mitomycin C application with conjunctival flap technique was performed on recurrent pterygium cases. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Recurrence of pterygium and postoperative complications. RESULTS: During mean follow-up periods of 16+/-1.9 and 15.5+/-1.5 months, six recurrences (14.6%) in the limbal conjunctival autograft transplantation group and five recurrences (12.5%) in the mitomycin C group were observed (P=0.77). The difference between the mean ages of recurrent (26.4+/-8.0 years) and nonrecurrent (35.8+/-11.9 years) cases for all patients was statistically significant (P=0.014). Technically, limbal conjunctival autograft transplantation seemed to be more difficult. The most frequent complication in limbal conjunctival autograft transplantation was graft edema, whereas that in the mitomycin C group was superficial keratitis. CONCLUSION: Both techniques showed similar recurrence rates in the treatment of recurrent pterygia. Although technically easier to perform, further follow-up is necessary to determine the long-term safety of low-dose intraoperative mitomycin C with conjunctival flap closure. The surgeon's familiarity with either procedure should determine the method of choice.

Extrusion and granuloma formation with mersilene mesh brow suspension.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: A variety of biologic or synthetic materials have been used in brow suspension ptosis surgery. We describe extrusion and granuloma formation in 5 cases of congenital ptosis operated with Mersilene mesh sling. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Case reports with review of literature. RESULTS: Two cases of extrusion and 3 cases of granuloma formation were encountered in 79 eye lids of 52 (6.3%) patients performed for the treatment of congenital ptosis. Mersilene mesh fibers in the cut surface and a foreign body reaction were found by microscopic evaluation of tissue harvested at the time of surgical removal of the sling. CONCLUSION: Despite the operative precautions, the probability of extrusion and granuloma formation should be in mind in cases of congenital ptosis operated with Mersilene mesh sling, a synthetic material.

The role of capsulotomy and intraocular lens type on tilt and decentration of polymethylmethacrylate and foldable acrylic lenses.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of different anterior capsulotomy techniques and intraocular lens (IOL) types on IOL tilt and decentration. For this purpose the device using Purkinje reflections and photographic documentation were evaluated. A total of 107 cataractous eyes undergoing IOL implant surgery were divided into four groups based on the type of IOL and capsulotomy: group 1, single-piece polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) IOL with a haptic distance of 13.50 mm; group 2, single-piece PMMA IOL with 12. 0 mm overall length; group 3, three-piece foldable acrylic IOL with 13.00 mm PMMA haptic distance; group 4, the same IOL as group 1. While continuous circular capsulorhexis was the type of capsulotomy in the first three groups, envelope capsulotomy was used in group 4. Mean tilt and decentration were significantly less when capsulorhexis technique was used in comparison with envelope capsulotomy. Mean tilt of group 1 (2.83+/-0.89 degrees) and mean decentration of group 2 (0.28+/-0.14 mm) were higher within the first three groups. The differences regarding both the IOL decentration and tilt between the first three groups were statistically significant. This study shows that if the IOLs were placed properly in the capsular bag after continuous circular capsulorhexis, foldable acrylic IOLs with PMMA haptics are superior in terms of tilt and decentration.

Limbal-conjunctival autograft transplantation in cases with recurrent pterygium.

This prospective study was undertaken to evaluate limbal conjunctival autotransplantation in the management of cases with recurrent pterygium. At present, new surgical techniques to prevent pterygium recurrence following surgery are in investigation. In recent years, it has been postulated that pterygium is due to hypofunction of limbal stem cells. Thirty-one out of 49 patients with recurrent pterygium were treated by limbal-conjunctival autograft transplantation and the other 18 treated by Czermak technique, including two line of limbal cauterization intraoperatively, and used as a control group. During a mean follow-up period of 10 months (ranging 3-18 months), 4 recurrences (13.3%) in the limbal-conjunctival autograft transplantation group and 9 recurrences (50%) in the control group were observed. We conclude that this was a successful method to prevent secondary recurrence in the management of recurrent pterygium patients under 40 years of age.