Ocular manifestations in acute stage Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis - A retrospective study in a tertiary hospital in South India.

PURPOSE: To describe the ocular manifestations in the acute stage of Stevens-Johnson syndrome/ toxic epidermal necrolysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed all the medical records of patients diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson syndrome/ toxic epidermal necrolysis and erythema multiforme between 2012 and 2019. Demographics, ophthalmic manifestations, and the treatment given systemically and locally were reviewed and analyzed. RESULTS: We had forty-five patients admitted to our hospital between Jan 2012 to Dec 2019 with SJS/TEN as a diagnosis.Twenty-six (57.5%) of them were females, and 19(42.2%) were males. The mean age was 27.5 years.Forty (88.9%) of our cases were diagnosed as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and five (11.9%) as toxic epidermal necrolysis. We found antiepileptics as a triggering agent in thirteen cases (28.8%). Fever (84.4%) and mucosal lesions (86.7%) were the most common presenting symptom. We found ocular symptoms in only 22 (48.9%) patients. The treating physicians referred only thirty-one cases to the ophthalmologist, out of which 22 cases were referred within three days of admission. The most common ocular involvement was conjunctival congestion (69%). Ocular grading showed that mild grade included 42.9%, moderate grade 28.6%, and severe grade 28.6% of the cases. The ocular treatment involved medical management with lubricating drops (100%), topical steroids (58.6%), and topical antibiotics (68.9%). Five individuals with a severe grade of ocular involvement underwent amniotic membrane transplantation. CONCLUSION: Ocular examination and grading are essential in the acute stage of SJS/TEN. It helps the ophthalmologist recognize the sentinel findings and institute appropriate treatment in the acute stage as early as possible.

An update on the novel approaches towards skills assessment of ophthalmology residents in the Indian scenario.

An essential part of the teaching-learning paradigm is assessment. It is one of the ways to achieve feedback for the various methods that have been used to impart a particular skill. This is true of ophthalmology training, where various clinical and surgical skills are learned as part of the residency program. In preparation for residents to become proficient ophthalmologists, both formative and summative assessments are of paramount importance. At present, assessment is primarily summative in the form of a university examination, including theory and practical examinations that are conducted at the end of the three years of residency. A formative assessment can make course corrections early on, allowing for an improved understanding of the subject and the acquisition of clinical and surgical skills. Formative assessments also allow us to customize the teaching methodology considering individual residents' learning capabilities. In addition, formative assessments have the advantage of alleviating the stress of a "final" examination, which could sometimes result in a less-than-optimum performance by the residents. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to adopt new teaching methods, which has led to the adoption of changes in assessment. In this regard, we discuss the different assessment tools available, their pros and cons, and how best these tools can be made applicable in the setting of an ophthalmology residency program.

Bilateral paracentral acute middle maculopathy and acute macular neuroretinopathy following COVID-19 vaccination.

A 35-year-old male patient presented with blurring and black spots in vision after 1 month of the second dose of Covishield vaccination. His visual acuity was 6/6; both eyes and anterior and posterior segment examinations were normal. The optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed multiple hyperreflective lesions involving the nerve fiber layer with back shadowing. In addition, there were hyperreflective spots in the ganglion cell layer and outer plexiform layer with focal loss of external limiting membrane and an intact inner segment/outer segment junction involving the posterior pole in both eyes. The patient was diagnosed with paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM) and acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMN) and advised observation. PAMM and AMN are unreported manifestations following the COVID-19 vaccination.

Adoption of newer teaching methods to overcome challenges of training in ophthalmology residency during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted training programs across all specialties. Surgical specialties, such as ophthalmology, that need continued microsurgical training are affected the most. The pandemic has resulted in ophthalmology residents being taken off their regular duties in ophthalmology and inducted into COVID duties. The focus on COVID care has de-emphasized training in ophthalmology. We highlight the challenges that teachers face in continuing the training programs of theory, clinical skill, and surgical skill transfer. Embracing technology is the need of the hour. We discuss the multiple options available to enable continued training programs and emphasize the need for all training institutes to include technology as an additional component of their training curricula.

Effect of wet-laboratory training on resident performed manual small-incision cataract surgery.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to study the effect of wet-laboratory training on the surgical outcome of resident performed manual small-incision cataract surgery (MSICS). Methods: We conducted a retrospective, comparative observational study on resident performed MSICS in our institute. We collected data of 464 patients of which Group A had 232 cases performed by residents without prior wet-laboratory training and Group B had 232 resident performed cases after adequate skill training in the wet laboratory. The demographics, type of cataract, intraoperative, postoperative complications, and immediate visual outcome were compared between the two groups. Results: The age, sex, and type of cataract were similar in both groups of residents. The frequency of intraoperative complications was higher in Group A (23.7%) than in Group B (15.08%) (P = 0.019). The occurrence of posterior capsule (PC) rupture and vitreous loss showed a statistically significant difference, with Group A showing a high rate of 14.3% PC rent and vitreous loss while only 6.9% (P = 0.01) had this complication in Group B. The postoperative visual outcome also was better in Group B than in Group A, with 62.06% of patients in Group B, having a postoperative day 1 vision of better than 6/18 as compared to only 38.36% in Group A. Conclusion: The wet-laboratory training is an effective method of improving the skills of the ophthalmology residents in MSICS. The reduction of complications will improve the quality of surgery and improve the postoperative visual outcome.

Prevalence of undiagnosed HIV infection in patients with ocular surface squamous neoplasia in a tertiary center in Karnataka, South India.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prevalence of undiagnosed and asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in patients with ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) in a referral hospital in Karnataka, South India. METHODS: A consecutive series of patients presenting with OSSN were evaluated in an academic center during January 2009 to June 2010. A detailed history was obtained and physical examination in 25 consecutive patients with OSSN was performed. Twenty-three patients (88%) agreed to undergo serological HIV testing. Of these, 2 were excluded from the current study because they had xeroderma pigmentosa, a known predisposing factor for OSSN. RESULTS: Of the 21 patients, 6 (29%) patients were HIV positive. None of the patients had previous HIV testing. The median age of presentation among HIV-positive patients was 36 years, whereas it was 54 years among HIV-negative patients. The mean CD4 count in HIV-positive patients was 133 cells per mm, and all patients were started on antiretroviral treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The conjunctival tumor may be the primary and the only apparent manifestation of HIV in patients presenting with OSSN, and the ophthalmologist needs to be aware of this association.

Lacrimal gland involvement in lymphomatoid granulomatosis and review of the literature.

Objective. To describe the clinicoradiological and histopathological findings in a case of lacrimal gland enlargement secondary to lymphomatoid granulomatosis (LG) and to review the literature. Design. Case report and systematic literature review. Methods. A 75-year-old woman presented with right ptosis. Computerised tomography showed lacrimal gland enlargement, and biopsy done was inconclusive. She subsequently developed pulmonary symptoms and underwent transbronchial biopsy that was diagnosed as LG. Pub Med and OVID databases were searched using the term "orbit/eye involvement in lymphomatoid granulomatosis". Articles that predated the databases were gathered from current references. Results. The patient underwent lacrimal gland biopsy which revealed necrotic and inflamed tissue with no further categorisation but transbronchial biopsy helped in establishing the diagnosis of LG. On initiation of prednisolone and cyclophosphamide, her orbital lesion resolved but the patient died following massive pulmonary hemorrhage within a month of diagnosis. Conclusion. Ophthalmic involvement in LG is very rare. Varied presentations are due to central nervous system involvement, vasculitis, or infiltration of ocular or orbital structures. LG is an angiocentric and angiodestructive granulomatous disorder and can involve any tissue, thus accounting for the variable presentations reported in literature.

Diffuse bilateral orbital inflammation in Churg- Strauss syndrome.

A 33-year-old man was diagnosed with asthma and within 5 weeks developed bilateral periocular swelling. Examination revealed bilateral axial proptosis with conjunctival nodules. His blood tests revealed a positive p-antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody with significant eosinophilia. MRI of the orbit showed enlarged extraocular muscles, lacrimal glands, and infiltrative changes in the orbital fat. Biopsy demonstrated granulomatous inflammation with eosinophil predominance. A diagnosis of diffuse bilateral inflammation in Churg-Strauss syndrome was made and the patient responded dramatically to prednisolone with resolution of systemic and orbital findings. The second case was a 72-year-old woman with a prolonged prodromal phase of asthma, paranasal sinus disease, and bilateral orbital involvement by a process consistent with reactive lymphoid hyperplasia on initial biopsy. Three years later she developed rapidly worsening orbital disease, marked peripheral eosinophilia, and orbital biopsy showed evidence of granulomatous inflammation with marked eosinophil infiltration and vasculitic changes, and a weakly positive antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody. Hence, diffuse bilateral orbital inflammation occurring in the setting of asthma and peripheral eosinophilia should raise the possibility of Churg-Strauss syndrome and warrants biopsy as early institution of therapy can reduce both systemic and ophthalmic complications.

Peripheral branching of levator superioris muscle and Müller muscle origin.

PURPOSE: To examine the structure of the distal levator superioris muscle and the origin of the Müller muscle. DESIGN: Experimental dissectional study. METHODS: Specimens from 10 postmortem upper eyelids and orbits of 7 white cadavers (6 right eyes and 4 left eyes; age range, 78 to 101 years of age at death; age average, 87.7 years) were used for microscopic observations. The upper eyelids and orbits with sagittal full-thickness sections of the central part were examined microscopically using Masson trichrome staining. RESULTS: Sections from 9 of the specimens were suitable for analysis. The levator superioris muscle divided into a superior and an inferior branch by connective tissue in the peripheral region in all 9 samples. Although the thickness of each branch varied, that of the superior branch tended to be thicker than that of the inferior branch. In 8 specimens of 7 cadavers, the Müller muscle originated from the distal end of the inferior branch of the levator superioris muscle. In one specimen, the Müller muscle originated from the distal end as well as the posterior aspect of the levator superioris muscle. The levator aponeurosis originated from the superior branch. CONCLUSIONS: The distal levator superioris muscle consisted of a branched structure, and the Müller muscle originated from the inferior branch of the levator superioris muscle.