Inferior Spear-like Lens Opacity as a Sign of Keratoconus.

PURPOSE: To report 21 cases of typical inferior feather-shape lens opacity associated with keratoconus. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated the association of keratoconus with inferior feather-shape lens opacity in refractive surgery candidates. Visual acuity, demographic, refractive, and topographic characteristics of 26 eyes of 21 patients with inferior feather-shape lens opacity were evaluated in detail. Pedigree analysis was also performed to assess possible inheritance. RESULTS: Overall, 2122 out of 33,368 cases (6.4%) without lens opacity had keratoconus, while 20 out of 21 patients (95.2%) with peculiar lens opacity had definite keratoconus (P < 0.001). Lens opacity was bilateral in 5 cases (24%), and keratoconus was bilateral in all 20 patients with lens opacity. Nine eyes out of thirty-six with a complete data record (25%) had a severe keratoconus and underwent deep lamellar keratoplasty, while 11 (31%) had forme fruste keratoconus. Pedigrees were drawn for eight patients, most families of whom suggested an X-linked recessive inheritance. CONCLUSION: The present study was the first to investigate patients with a peculiar inferior feather-shape lens opacity accompanied by bilateral keratoconus, which was observed in 95% of the patients. This finding should raise awareness as to the possibility of diagnosing keratoconus in the eyes of the patients with these characteristics.

Endocapsular hematoma as an uncommon early postoperative complication of phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation surgery.

Herein we describe a 55-year-old woman presented with a chief complaint of visual loss in the right eye of 3 days duration. The patient underwent uncomplicated phacoemulsification cataract surgery on the right eye 1 week ago. Slit lamp examination revealed accumulation of blood in the capsular bag behind the intraocular lens with blood level. The patient was diagnosed as endocapsular hematoma. Neodymium-doped: yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser posterior capsulotomy was performed. The patient's vision improved completely.

Conjunctivitis as a manifestation of Wegener's Granulomatosis.

PURPOSE: To report a case of prolonged conjunctivitis as the manifestation of Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). METHODS: A 37-year-old man presented with prolonged conjunctivitis which had persisted for one month. He was taking medication for his conjunctivitis without any response. A slit-lamp examination revealed conjunctivitis and scleritis in the right eye. Conjunctivitis, 360-degree peripheral corneal thinning, corneal perforation, and scleritis were seen in the left eye. RESULTS: Emergency penetrating keratoplasty was performed to treat the patient's corneal perforation. After a consultation with the Internal Medicine Department, the patient was suspected of having GPA with positive cytoplasmic anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (C-ANCA). Functional endoscopic sinus surgery was performed to treat right maxillary sinusitis, and a biopsy of the maxillary sinus mucosa was obtained. The pathology report showed granuloma and vasculitis with severe acute and chronic inflammation and few eosinophils; thus, the diagnosis was confirmed. CONCLUSION: Because prolonged conjunctivitis occurs only rarely in association with systemic disease, ophthalmologists should be aware of this potential, particularly in patients with GPA.

Social Well-Being and Related Factors in Students of School of Nursing and Midwifery.

BACKGROUND: According to the World Health Organization viewpoint, social well-being is an important dimension of health along with physical and mental aspects. Evaluation of social well-being is necessary in students, especially in medical sciences students due to future responsibility as health care professionals. The present study attempted to investigate the level of social well-being, five domains of it (like actualization, integration, contribution), and some related factors in the school of nursing and midwifery students. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out between Julys to December 2015 and comprised 346 students in the school of nursing and midwifery in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Social well-being, socio-demographic status and physical activity were measured by valid questionnaires. Univariate linear regression analysis, multiple imputation method, ANOVA and independent sample t-test were used as different statistical methods. The P values less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean score of social well-being was 50. The minimum and maximum scores of social well-being were 20 to 100. Married students had higher social well-being than single students in univariate linear regression (Beta: 2.111, 95% CI: (0.387 to 3.738), P=0.017). Also, social integration had higher scores in married students (P=0.015). Social actualization was higher in male students (P=0.015); on the other hand, social contribution was higher in female students (P=0.026). CONCLUSION: The results of our study showed that social well-being status of students in this research was not satisfactory. Designing and conducting programs for promotion of social well-being, for example preparing facilities for marriage of students, can be helpful. Evaluation of social well-being in students of other schools with multicenter studies seems to be useful.

Effects of onion juice on the normal flora of eyelids and conjunctiva in an animal model.

BACKGROUND: Traditional medicine/complementary alternative medicine may suggest new ideas to modern medicine in order to face new challenges however these concepts should be acknowledged based on experimental studies. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to study the effects of onion (Allium cepa) juice on the normal flora of conjunctiva and eye lids, and to follow the histopathology changes of conjunctiva in an animal study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four rabbits were randomly classified into three equal groups. Groups 1, 2 and 3 received fresh red onion juice, as an eye drop, into the right eye twice daily for; one week, one month, and two months, respectively. Microbiological sampling by sterile swabs was performed before and after the intervention. Cultural characteristics, including the growth rate and the kind of organisms, are reported. At the end of the study, pathological samples were collected from the inferior fornix. RESULTS: After the intervention, the number of positive cultures in the samples, collected from both the conjunctiva and eyelid, had decreased. Group 3 demonstrated the lowest amount of growth after the administration of the onion juice and the bacterial isolation rates from each organism had decreased. All pathological samples revealed some degree of inflammation. There was no evidence of metaplasia or dysplasia. There was no significant difference between the growth rates of organisms in the experimental groups using statistical analysis. CONCLUSIONS: According to our experiment, onion has an inhibitory effect on the growth of normal eye flora; although the duration of onion juice instillation did not show any significant effect on the group results. Hence, this finding is an initiating point for further investigations into the antimicrobial properties of this herb to treat common eye infections, including conjunctivitis and blepharitis.