Effect of mitomycin C on the corneal endothelial cells of Saudi patients with myopia after transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy: a two-armed cohort study.

AIM: To study the effect of mitomycin C (MMC) applied during transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (TPRK) on the corneal endothelium one week (W1) and three months (M3) after surgery and its determinants. METHODS: In this two-armed cohort study conducted in 2022, eyes treated with MMC during TPRK (group 1) were compared with eyes not treated with MMC (group 2). The corneal endothelial cell (EC) count, EC density (ECD; cells/mm2), average (µm2), standard deviation (µm2), coefficient of variation (CV%), ECmax, ECmin, and EC percentage of hexagonality were estimated at W1 and M3. The postoperative changes in the EC count in the two groups were compared and correlated with the other independent variables. RESULTS: Group 1 had 26 eyes, and group 2 had 78 eyes. All TPRK indices were significantly higher for the eyes in group 1 than for those in group 2. The MMC usage was not a significant predictor of the change in ECD (P=0.644), change in CV (P=0.374), and change in the percentage of hexagonality of EC (P=0.164) at W1. However, the use of MMC was a significant predictor of changes in CV (P=0.014) and the change in the percentage of hexagonality of EC (P=0.039) at M3. The duration of laser exposure and the size of the optical zone influenced the correlation of MMC use with the changes in EC indices, postoperatively. CONCLUSION: The use of MMC doesn't affect ECD, CV, and percentage of hexagonality at W1 if other surgical indices are considered. At M3 after operating myopic eyes by TPRK, MMC significantly influence the CV and percentage of hexagonality. The duration of the laser application and the size of the optical zone should be considered when determining the effect of MMC on the EC indices.

Accommodative insufficiency in post-COVID-19 case with refractive error.

The aim of the case report is to present refractive error with accommodative insufficiency as a possible postinfectious manifestation of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Three weeks after the COVID-19 infection, a 22-year-old subject presented with blurring of distance and near vision with a frontal headache after prolonged near work. The patient was not using any refractive correction before the COVID-19 infection. This case report describes the diagnosis, management, and treatment of accommodative dysfunction in a patient with a history of COVID-19 infection.

Pattern of refractive errors in Buraydah. How serious is the problem?

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of refractive errors is on the rise globally. This study was done to assess the pattern and prevalence of various errors of refraction including myopia, hypermetropia, and astigmatism in Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in Buraydah city during January 2015. The participants consisted of 188 subjects of both sexes ranging from 2 to 75 years in a shopping mall picked randomly regardless of age and gender. The study subjects were picked up from a temporary eye clinic established for 2 days in a busy shopping mall in Qassim. The refraction was performed on those patients who were willing for the examination and gave consent to be inducted in the study. Those who had any sort of refractive disorders were assessed and classified by the kind of refractive error. RESULTS: The incidence of refractive errors was found to be reasonably high among general population regardless of gender; however, increasing age was found to be associated with increasing incidence. We found myopia as the most common error of refraction found in 91 (48.40%) study subjects, while astigmatism and hypermetropia were other errors detected. CONCLUSIONS: Refractive errors are one of the main reasons of treatable visual impairment in youth. There is a need of standard vision testing in young population to diagnose any such problem at an early stage.