Vision-related quality of life among released from treatment cases of leprosy evaluated with NEI-VFQ-25: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: People with leprosy who have been declared Release From Treatment (RFT) are often not aware of the leprosy sequelae possibility which can decrease their quality of life. This could be because they have been adapting for a long time hence they do not feel the need to see physicians. This study seeks to compare the results of Vision-Related Quality of Life (VR-QoL) among RFT persons based on the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 (NEI-VFQ-25) and WHO grading disability based on physical examination. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 325 RFT subjects from leprosy communities (Singkawang, West Kalimantan and Tangerang, Banten) was conducted between 2018 and 2019. We used the NEI-VFQ-25 questionnaire that had been validated and translated into Indonesian and distributed to the leprosy population. Relationships and comparisons among variables were evaluated using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. RESULTS: There were three main results: The median composite score of VR-QoL for WHO grade 0, 1, and 2 disabilities has decreased by 13%, 25.5%, and 30% of the maximum value, respectively. Of the total, eleven subscales were statistically significant between WHO grading disability and VR-QoL based on the NEI-VFQ-25 (p < 0.05). The comparison between grade 0 and grade 2 disability in all subscales was statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The grade of disability is related to their VR-QoL assessment using the NEI-VFQ-25 questionnaire. Thus, it can be used as an initial screening in primary healthcare settings to increase awareness of disability before a thorough physical examination.

Comparative Assessment of Short-Term Tendon-Scleral Postoperative Inflammation and α-Smooth Muscle Actin Expression following Oral and Topical Diclofenac Administration for Strabismus Surgery in Rabbits.

PURPOSE: Wound healing and fibrosis modulation are considered pivotal for the long-term outcome of strabismus surgery. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including diclofenac sodium, are inflammation suppressive drugs that may modulate wound healing, including postoperative inflammation. This study aimed to compare the effect of oral and 0.1% topical diclofenac sodium on short-term inflammation and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression at the tendon-scleral attachment site following strabismus surgery in an experimental rabbit model. METHODS: Superior rectus recession was performed in 12 eyes of six New Zealand rabbits. Rabbits were divided into three groups: oral diclofenac 2 × 5 mg/kg for three days (group A), 0.1% diclofenac sodium eye drops 3 times/day for three days (group B), and controls (group C). On postoperative day 14, enucleation was performed. Macroscopic adhesion score, microscopic adhesion score, percentage of postoperative inflammation area (Masson's trichrome staining), and α-SMA (immunohistochemistry staining) were assessed. Data analysis was performed using a semi-quantitative and quantitative assessment with ImageJ. All groups were compared with reciprocal staining intensity (RSI) values to measure α-SMA expression. RESULTS: All groups showed no difference in macroscopic (p = 0.13) and microscopic adhesion scores (p = 0.28). The percentage of postoperative inflammation area in group B (12.44% (8.63-18.29)) was significantly lower than group A (26.76% (21.38-37.56) p = 0.03) and group C (27.80% (16.42-36.28), p = 0.04). Comparative RSI analysis found that group B had a significantly lower α-SMA expression than group C (174.08 ± 21.78 vs 212.58 ± 12.06, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that compared to oral, the administration of topical diclofenac showed a more significant reduction of short-term postoperative inflammation and α-SMA expression at the tendon-scleral attachment site following strabismus surgery.

Delivering a modified continuous objective structured clinical examination for ophthalmology residents through a hybrid online method.

Since coronavirus disease 2019 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, it has become a challenging situation to continue medical education, including in Indonesia. The situation prohibited face-to-face (direct) educational activities in clinical settings, therefore also postponing examinations involving especially procedural skills. Adaptations were urgently needed to maintain the delivery of high-stake examinations to sustain the number of ophthalmology graduates and the continuation of eye health service. Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) has been one of our widely used method to assess clinical competencies for ophthalmology residents, and is the one method that involves gatherings, close contact of examiners, examinees and patients, therefore the most difficult to adjust. Pandemic challenges brought technical changes in our delivering the OSCE to online, maximizing digital platforms of meetings, while still concerned to guarding the safety of candidates, patients and staffs. OSCE scenarios were also made as timely efficient as possible by changing continuous station models to a cascade one. The purpose of this article is to document our experience in conducting a feasible and reproducible OSCE in this pandemic era filled with limitations.

Rare case of bilateral perforated corneal ulcer due to gonococcal infection, managed with temporary periosteal graft.

A 17-year-old female patient was referred to Kirana Ophthalmology Unit, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, with a 10-day history of redness and swelling of the eyes, and inability to open them. Other symptoms included pain, blurred vision and excessive yellowish-white discharge from both eyes. There was a history of multiple sexual partners. The patient was assessed with bilateral perforated corneal ulcer due to gonococcal infection, based on the findings of intracellular and extracellular Gram-negative diplococci found on the Gram staining examination. The cornea in both eyes showed perforation with iris prolapse inferiorly. The perforations were treated with temporary periosteal grafts. The grafts remained in place after the surgery. Final uncorrected visual acuity was 6/20 in the right eye and 6/24 in the left eye, a few months after surgery.