Comparison of corneal biomechanical properties in healthy thin corneas with matched keratoconus eyes.

PURPOSE: To compare corneal biomechanical parameters of normal thin corneas with matched keratoconus eyes. SETTING: Eye Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. DESIGN: Cross-sectional comparative study. METHODS: Dynamic corneal response parameters of Corvis ST were compared in 61 eyes with keratoconus with 61 matched healthy thin corneas (corneal thinnest point <500 µm), while corneal thickness, biomechanically corrected intraocular pressure, and age were considered covariates. The receiving operator sensitivity curve analysis was used to determine the cutoff point with the highest sensitivity and specificity, and the area under the curve (AUC) for each parameter. RESULTS: All biomechanical parameters were statistically significant between the 2 groups except for the first ( P = .947) and second ( P = .582) applanation length, first ( P = .783) and second ( P = .301) applanation velocity, and deformation amplitude in the highest concavity phase ( P = .106). The highest mean difference between groups (12.89 ± 2.03 mm Hg/mm) was related to the stiffness parameter at the first applanation (SPA1). Although the Corvis biomechanical index and tomographic biomechanical index had the highest detection ability based on their AUC (0.912 and 0.959, respectively), among the standard and combined biomechanical parameters except for keratoconus screening parameters, the highest discriminative ability was related to SPA1 with AUC, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.793, 60.66%, and 90.16%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Keratoconus corneas were significantly softer compared with healthy thin corneas of matched thickness. Optimal cutoff points close to the maximum value defined for screening parameters limit their clinical use for differentiation purposes in these particular types of cases.

Acute Hydrops with Total Corneal Edema in a Very Young Child with Keratoconus: The Youngest Age Reported Case.

Purpose: To present the youngest age ever reported for acute corneal hydrops with total corneal edema in a child with advanced bilateral keratoconus. Methods: Patient presentation in ophthalmic clinic. The patient underwent various clinical tests and examinations including anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) and Scheimpflug corneal tomography. Results: A 5-year-old girl presented with uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) of 0.4 in the right eye and nonmeasurable UDVA associated with severe photophobia in her left eye of a 3-day duration. Intraocular pressure using the iCare tonometer was 14 and 5 mmHg in the right and left eyes, respectively. An old corneal hydrops scar and posterior subcapsular cataract (PSC) in the right eye and a total limbus to limbus corneal hydrops in the left eye were observed on slit-lamp examinations. Scheimpflug corneal tomography was possible in the right eye but, due to excessive irregularity and scaring, was not possible in the left eye. Corneal thinning and scarring were evident in the anterior segment optical coherence tomography in the right eye and very edematous cornea associated with stromal cleft and epithelial bullae in the left eye. A management plan consisting of topical hypertonic solution and ointment was started to reduce her symptoms. Conclusion: Acute corneal hydrops may be the presenting sign of keratoconus; however, extensive hydrops involving the total cornea area at a very young age is very rare and has not been previously reported in the literature.

Computer literacy among students of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences.

INTRODUCTION: The need for medical students to be computer literate is vital. With the rapid integration of information technology (IT) in the health care field, equipping students of medical universities withcomputer competencies to effectively use are needed. The purpose of this study was to assess computer literacy (CL) needs of medical sciences students. METHODS: This is descriptive-analytic. The population of the study comprised all students at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. 385 students from allschools (Medicine, dentistry, paramedics, health, rehabilitation, nursing and midwifery) were selected through randomized- classified sampling. For data collecting, the Lin Tung- Cheng questionnaire was used which it contained 24 items in six sections.The obtained data analyzed by SPSS 15. RESULTS: The results showed that the 77.1% had personal computer. The total mean of students' computer literacy around six domains was 141.9±49.5 out of 240. The most familiarity with computers was the ability to it in internet (29.0±11.4) and the lowest was familiarity and using ability of hard ware (17.5±10.6). There was a significant relationship between passing the Computer lesson (P=0.001), passing Computer course (P=0.05) and having personal computer (P=0.001) with the mean of computer literacy. DISCUSSION: In sum, the medical sciences students' familiarity with computer literacy was not satisfactory and they had not appropriate familiarity with computer literacy skills. The researchers suggest the officials and in-charges to plan educational program for improving computer literacy skills in medical sciences students.

Color vision deficiency in Zahedan, Iran: lower than expected.

PURPOSE: To estimate the prevalence of congenital red-green color vision defects in the elementary school students of Zahedan in 2012. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 1000 students with a mean (±SD) age of 9.0 (±1.4) years were selected randomly from a large primary school population. Color vision was evaluated using the Ishihara pseudoisochromatic color plates (38-plate edition). A daylight fluorescent tube was used as an illuminant C equivalent (i.e., 860 lux, color rendering index greater than 92, and color temperature = 6500 K). Having more than three misreadings on the test was considered a failing criterion. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 17 software using χ2 tests. RESULTS: Nine students (0.9%) made more than three errors on the Ishihara test. Based on this criterion, the prevalence of red-green color vision deficiency in girls and boys was 0.2 and 1.6% (p = 0.02), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of red-green color vision deficiency was found to be significantly lower in Zahedan than comparable reports in the literature.