The prevalence of adenoviral conjunctivitis at the Wills Eye Hospital Emergency Room.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of adenoviral conjunctivitis by analyzing data from a prospective clinical study of 50 consecutive patients presenting to the Wills Eye Hospital Emergency Room (WEH ER) with a clinical diagnosis of infectious conjunctivitis from July 2003 to October 2003. METHODS: The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to evaluate all cases of clinically diagnosed infectious conjunctivitis. Based on the laboratory findings, the prevalence of adenovirus was determined. RESULTS: Of the 50 consecutive patients with acute infectious conjunctivitis, 31 patients were PCR positive for adenovirus. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of adenoviral conjunctivitis was found by PCR to represent 62% of all patients presenting with a clinical diagnosis of infectious conjunctivitis from July 2003 to October 2003.

Measurement of scleral thickness in uveal effusion syndrome.

PURPOSE: To measure scleral thickness in patients with and without uveal effusion syndrome using ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). DESIGN: Prospective case-control study. METHODS: UBM was used to measure scleral thickness in five subjects with uveal effusion syndrome and five matched controls. We also used MRI to measure scleral thickness in three subjects. RESULTS: The mean thicknesses for eyes with uveal effusion syndrome versus control eyes were 0.65 +/- 0.08 mm and 0.55 +/- 0.05 mm, respectively (mean difference 0.10, P value = .13). MRI measurements of three subjects showed abnormally thick sclera but were imprecise. CONCLUSIONS: UBM can be used to measure scleral thickness, and our results support the finding that patients with uveal effusion syndrome have abnormally thick sclera. Compared with MRI, UBM may be a more accurate and precise method of measuring scleral thickness. UBM can be a useful adjunctive test in the management of uveal effusion syndrome.