Management of Complications after Levator Resection for Ptosis.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the complications after external levator resection (ELR) for ptosis, and their management. STUDY DESIGN: Observational Study. Place and Duration of the Study: Mughal Eye Hospital Trust, Lahore, from June 2018 to December 2022. METHODOLOGY: A total of 256 eyes were operated for ptosis cases having good levator function who were treated by ELR. The exclusion criteria was any history of operation of lids or orbits or poor levator function, Marcus Gunn jaw-winking phenomenon, and neurogenic ptosis. The frequency of complications and their management was documented. RESULTS: Age ranged from 6 to 65 years. The follow-up ranged from 8 weeks to 3 years. Eleven (4.3%) cases developed complications. Two cases had mild undercorrection and did not require any treatment. In moderate overcorrection encountered in one eye, pulling the lid down for a few times daily improved lid level in four weeks. Four eyes had severe overcorrection, 2 patients required one operation and the other two patients required two operations each. These included hang-back sutures in two eyes (with 5/O Ethibond in one eye and 6/O Vicryl sutures in another eye) and simple incision in the levator (disinserting it partially from the tarsal plate) in two eyes. Lagophthalmos in two eyes improved with conservative treatment. Notching in two eyes improved with partial disinsertion of levator by cutting one Vicryl suture attaching levator to the tarsal plate and leaving 2 Vicryl sutures connecting levator to the tarsal plate. CONCLUSION: Ptosis correction by ELR is a low-complication procedure with good corrective results. KEY WORDS: Ptosis, Good levator function, Overcorrection after ptosis operation, Hang-back sutures, Partial levator disinsertion.

Endophthalmitis After Intravitreal Bevacizumab (Avastin) Injections: An Outbreak Investigated.

Purpose To investigate an endophthalmitis outbreak in different eye hospitals after intravitreal (IVT) bevacizumab (Avastin) injections over two days. Place and duration of the study Mughal Eye Hospital, Nov 2022 to Jan 2023. Materials and methods All cases reported with endophthalmitis in Mughal Eye Hospital after administration of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor IVT injections in different hospitals on November 8-9, 2022, were studied. In all endophthalmitis cases, one to five IVT injections of antibiotics (vancomycin, ceftazidime, and dexamethasone) were given depending on the clinical picture. Results Thirty-six eyes of 34 patients who developed endophthalmitis were included in the study. Age (mean 53 years) ranged from 44 years to 70 years. There were 18 males and 16 females. Two patients had bilateral endophthalmitis. Thirty-three patients were given two to four IVT injections of antibiotics depending on the clinical response. Five cases of vitreous tap done before injecting antibiotics were found to have Pseudomonas. Anterior chamber wash was done in 15 cases to improve visualization for doing pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). In 24 patients PPV with silicon oil was done. Eighteen patients showed improvement as their hypopyon disappeared after IVT antibiotic injections. One patient developed corneal sloughing (she refused IVT antibiotic injections). One patient developed malignant/pupil block glaucoma. In two eyes, early PPV was done. Four eyes developed no perception of light. In our series, endophthalmitis patients started reporting one day after the injection. One patient who developed bilateral endophthalmitis developed bilateral cataracts with subluxations. One patient developed retinal detachment. One eye developed choroidal detachment. Conclusion IVT bevacizumab (Avastin) may be associated with an outbreak of endophthalmitis. Pseudomonas endophthalmitis is a very grave condition associated with severe morbidity.

Concise report: a minimal-invasive method to retrieve and identify entheseal tissue from psoriatic arthritis patients.

OBJECTIVES: To establish a minimally invasive biopsy technique for the analysis of entheseal tissue in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: Human cadavers were used for establishing the technique to retrieve tissue from the lateral humeral epicondyle enthesis (cadaveric biopsies). After biopsy, the entire enthesis was surgically resected (cadaveric resections). Biopsies and resections were assessed by label-free second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy. The same technique was then applied in patients with PsA with definition of entheseal tissue by SHG, staining of CD45+immune cells and RNA extraction. RESULTS: Entheseal biopsies from five cadavers allowed the retrieval of entheseal tissue as validated by the analysis of resection material. Microscopy of biopsy and resection sections allowed differentiation of entheseal, tendon and muscle tissue by SHG and definition of specific intensity thresholds for entheseal tissue. In subsequent entheseal biopsies of 10 PsA patients: the fraction of entheseal tissue was high (65%) and comparable to cadaveric biopsies (68%) as assessed by SHG microscopy. Furthermore, PsA biopsies showed immune cell infiltration and sufficient retrieval of RNA for further molecular analysis. CONCLUSION: Entheseal biopsy of the lateral epicondyle is feasible in patients with PsA allowing reliable retrieval of entheseal tissue and its identification by SHG microscopy.

Practical needs and considerations for refugees and other forcibly displaced persons with neurological disorders: Recommendations using a modified Delphi approach.

Background: There are >70 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, including refugees, internally displaced persons, and asylum seekers. While the health needs of forcibly displaced people have been characterized in the literature, more still needs to be done globally to translate this knowledge into effective policies and actions, particularly in neurology. Methods: In 2020, a global network of published experts on neurological disease and refugees was convened. Nine physician experts from nine countries (2 low, 1 lower-middle income, 5 upper-middle, 1 high income) with experience treating displaced people originating from 18 countries participated in three survey and two discussion rounds in accordance with the Delphi method. Results: A consensus list of priority interventions for treating neurological conditions in displaced people was created, agnostic to cost considerations, with the ten highest ranking tests or treatments ranked as: computerized tomography scans, magnetic resonance imaging scans, levetiracetam, acetylsalicylic acid, carbamazepine, paracetamol, sodium valproate, basic blood tests, steroids and anti-tuberculous medication. The most important contextual considerations (100% consensus) were all economic and political, including the economic status of the displaced person's country of origin, the host country, and the stage in the asylum seeking process. The annual cost to purchase the ten priority neurological interventions for the entire displaced population was estimated to be 220 million USD for medications and 4.2 billion USD for imaging and tests. Conclusions: A need for neuroimaging and anti-seizure medications for forcibly displaced people was emphasized. These recommendations could guide future research and investment in neurological care for forcibly displaced people.

Neutrophil extracellular traps-associated protein peptidyl arginine deaminase 4 immunohistochemical expression in ulcerative colitis and its association with the prognostic predictors.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are incriminated in several immune and inflammatory diseases including ulcerative colitis (UC). Analysis of colonic tissues for NETs-related markers in UC carries prognostic and therapeutic implications. This work aims to evaluate the immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of NETs-associated-protein arginine deaminase 4 (PAD4) in colonic biopsies from UC patients in comparison to normal colon (NC). Association between PAD4 expression level and histopathologic grade, patient's therapeutic response and other clinicopathological prognostic predictors in UC are determined. This cohort study included biopsies from 42 UC patients and 11 NC controls. Clinicopathological data including patient's age at diagnosis, gender, presenting symptoms, anatomical disease extent, extra-intestinal manifestations, type and response to therapy and surgical interventions were recorded and tabulated. Histopathological grading of disease activity and associated epithelial changes were assessed. PAD4 immunostaining was conducted using Horseradish Peroxidase technique and scored semiquantitatively considering intensity and percentage of nuclear staining of lamina propria inflammatory cells. Appropriate statistical tests were applied. Anti-PAD4 was localized mainly in the nuclei of lamina propria infiltrating neutrophils. It was expressed more significantly in UC (95.2 %) compared to NC (p 0.001). Increased PAD4 expression level was significantly associated with increasing histopathologic grade, anatomical disease extent, lacking response to therapy and subjection to radical surgery (p:0.001, = 0.038, 0.046, 0.046 respectively). Age, gender, presenting symptoms, extra-intestinal manifestations and epithelial changes showed insignificant associations. This study characterizes a subset of UC patients with high histopathological grade of activity, pancolonic involvement, strong/moderate PAD4 expression levels and who are unresponsive to routine medical therapeutic regimens rendering them candidates for radical surgery. In conjunction with histopathological grading, IHC evaluation of PAD4 in UC is recommended to guide patient's selection for targeted therapy using the novel-discovered selective PAD4 inhibitors.

Cancer in Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon between 2015 and 2017.

Protracted conflicts in the Middle East have led to successive waves of refugees crossing borders. Chronic, non-communicable diseases are now recognised as diseases that need to be addressed in such crises. Cancer, in particular, with its costly, multidisciplinary care, poses considerable financial and ethical challenges for policy makers. In 2014 and with funding from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, we reported on cancer cases among Iraqi refugees in Jordan (2010-12) and Syria (2009-11). In this Policy Review, we provide data on 733 refugees referred to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon (2015-17) and Jordan (2016-17), analysed by cancer type, demographic risk factors, treatment coverage status, and cost. Results show the need for increased funding and evidence-based standard operating procedures across countries to ensure that patients have equitable access to care. We recommend a holistic response to humanitarian crises that includes education, screening, treatment, and palliative care for refugees and nationals and prioritises breast cancer and childhood cancers.