Ab externo scleral fixation of intraocular lens.

UNLABELLED: We describe an ab externo technique that facilitates IOL scleral fixation and reduces the risk associated with previous ab externo scleral fixation techniques. This technique uses a microvitreoretinal blade and an internal limiting membrane forceps to create sclerotomies and retrieve the suture, respectively. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: Dr. Cionni is a consultant to Morcher GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany. Dr. Crandall is a consultant to Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Ft. Worth, Texas, USA. No other author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.

Acanthamoeba and fungal keratitis in a woman with a history of Intacs corneal implants.

PURPOSE: To report a case of corneal perforation secondary to Acanthamoeba and fungal keratitis in a patient with a history of Intacs corneal implants. METHODS: The patient's history, clinical presentation, and pathologic analysis were reviewed. RESULTS: A 56-year-old woman with keratoconus was referred to the university eye center for a corneal perforation secondary to a chronic corneal ulcer initially diagnosed as herpes simplex keratitis. The patient had Intacs inserted in the same eye 14 months earlier, but had them removed approximately 1 month before her visit. After emergency keratoplasty, the patient's corneal tissue was sent for histopathologic examination, which showed an Acanthamoeba and fungal coinfection. CONCLUSIONS: Atypical sources of keratitis should be considered in patients with a chronic corneal ulcer and a history of Intacs corneal implants.

Prophylactic gatifloxacin therapy in prevention of bacterial keratitis in a rabbit laser in situ keratomileusis model.

PURPOSE: Use the ID(50) (infectious dose to 50% of experimental animals) to quantify the most effective prophylactic dosing regimen to use with gatifloxacin 0.3% (Zymar) for the prevention of keratitis in a rabbit laser in situ keratomileusis model of Staphylococcus epidermidis infection. SETTING: University Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA. METHODS: Two groups of rabbits were compared in each of 2 experiments that were separated by 12 months. In the first experiment, rabbits receiving no postoperative antibiotic therapy (Group 1) were compared with rabbits receiving postoperative antibiotic therapy (Group 2). In the second experiment, postoperative antibiotic therapy (Group 3) was compared with preoperative and postoperative antibiotic therapy (Group 4). All antibiotic regimens used gatifloxacin 0.3%. Before antibiotic therapy began, corneal pockets were created in the right eye of each rabbit and all rabbits received balanced salt solution (BSS) only or BSS and S epidermidis inoculations in the corneal pocket. Rabbits were monitored for corneal infiltrates after surgery. RESULTS: The ID(50) of the first, second, third, and fourth groups of rabbits was 10(2), 10(4), 10(5), and 10(7) organisms, respectively. The data showed a statistically significant difference between rabbits receiving BSS only and most rabbits receiving BSS plus inoculate at each postoperative measurement (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the use of both preoperative and postoperative antibiotic therapy may be most effective in preventing infection. Postoperative antibiotic therapy increased the number of S epidermidis necessary to cause infection by at least 100-fold over no antibiotic intervention. Preoperative plus postoperative antibiotic therapy increased the number of bacteria necessary to cause infection by at least 100-fold over postoperative therapy alone and by more than 10000-fold over no antibiotic intervention.