Andalusian Public Eye-Banks: a decade of continuous improvement.

OBJECTIVES: To show donation data, number of keratoplasties and the changes in transplant indications and techniques that occurred in Andalusia in the period from 2013 to 2022. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present work is a retrospective and descriptive study that included all keratoplasties performed between January 2013 and December 2022 in Andalusia, as well as the evolution of the cornea donation and transplant activity of the public and private hospitals pertaining to the waiting list management system of the Public Health System of Andalusia. Transplants performed in private centers with corneas from outside Andalusia were excluded. RESULTS: Cornea donation activity in Andalusia in the decade 2013-2022 has experienced a growth of more than 126%, while overall transplant activity has increased by 157% in public hospitals. Penetrating keratoplasty has decreased from 83% in 2013 to 43% in 2022, while lamellar techniques have increased from 17% to 57% in this same period. Since 2018, more lamellar transplants are performed than penetrating transplants. Regarding indications, endothelial conditions already represent the first cause of transplantation. In 2022 alone, the public Andalusian Eye Banks evaluated 1,054 corneas and prepared 281 endothelial grafts. CONCLUSION: In the decade from 2013 to 2022 in Andalusia there has been an increase in donation activity and the number of keratoplasties. The public Eye Banks implementation in this period has played a key role in the widespread adoption of lamellar keratoplasty techniques and has enabled the transition to perform a greater number of lamellar keratoplasties compared to penetrating keratoplasty.

Análisis de superficie ocular en pacientes diagnosticados de ictiosis X / Ocular surface analysis in patients diagnosed with X-linked ichthyosis

Se estudió a 7 pacientes (14 ojos) diagnosticados de ictiosis X mediante test de Schirmer, biomicroscopia, tonometría, recuento endotelial, tomografía de coherencia óptica, Pentacam, analizador de superficie ocular y microscopia confocal. La edad media fue 33,83 ± 20,17 años (rango: 7-64 años). Los hallazgos más frecuentes en biomicrocoscopia fueron disfunción de glándulas de Meibomio (83,3%) y opacidades corneales estromales (33%). El tiempo de rotura de la película lagrimal se encontró acortado en el 25% de los ojos. La microscopia confocal (2 ojos) reveló queratocitos activados con partículas hiperreflectivas en su interior en estroma anterior y fuera de ellos en estroma posterior. Creemos que la extensión del uso de la microscopia confocal permitirá conocer mejor la enfermedad corneal asociada a ictiosis X y nuevas características de estos pacientes

Seven patients (14 eyes) diagnosed with X-linked ichthyosis were studied using the Schirmer test, biomicroscopy, tonometry, endothelial count, optical coherence tomography, Pentacam®, ocular surface analyser, and confocal microscopy. The mean age was 33.83 ± 20.17 years (range: 7-64 years). The most frequent findings in biomicroscopy were Meibomian glands dysfunction (83.3%) and stromal corneal opacities (33%). The tear break-up time was found shortened in 25% of the eyes. Confocal microscopy (both eyes) revealed activated keratocytes with hyper-reflective particles inside them in the anterior stroma and outside them in the posterior stroma. It is believed that the inclusion of the use of confocal microscopy will help in a better understanding of the corneal pathology associated with ichthyosis X, as well as new characteristics of these patients

Ocular surface analysis in patients diagnosed with X-linked ichthyosis. / Análisis de superficie ocular en pacientes diagnosticados de ictiosis X.

Seven patients (14 eyes) diagnosed with X-linked ichthyosis were studied using the Schirmer test, biomicroscopy, tonometry, endothelial count, optical coherence tomography, Pentacam®, ocular surface analyser, and confocal microscopy. The mean age was 33.83±20.17 years (range: 7-64 years). The most frequent findings in biomicroscopy were Meibomian glands dysfunction (83.3%) and stromal corneal opacities (33%). The tear break-up time was found shortened in 25% of the eyes. Confocal microscopy (both eyes) revealed activated keratocytes with hyper-reflective particles inside them in the anterior stroma and outside them in the posterior stroma. It is believed that the inclusion of the use of confocal microscopy will help in a better understanding of the corneal pathology associated with ichthyosis X, as well as new characteristics of these patients.