Haluk Ertürk

Tear function and ocular surface changes in keratoconus

PURPOSE To describe the ocular surface disorder in patients with keratoconus. DESIGN A prospective, case-controlled study. PARTICIPANTS Seventy-five eyes of 38 patients with keratoconus seen at Uludag University School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, from March 2000 through April 2001, and 80 eyes of 40 normal control subjects were studied. INTERVENTION The subjects underwent routine ophthalmic examinations, corneal sensitivity measurements, Schirmer test, tear film breakup time (BUT), fluorescein and rose bengal staining of the ocular surface, and conjunctival impression cytology. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Patients and control subjects were compared for corneal sensitivity, tear function, ocular surface staining parameters, goblet cell density, and squamous metaplasia grade. The relation of these parameters to the severity of keratoconus progression was also investigated. RESULTS The mean corneal sensitivity was significantly lower in keratoconus patients compared with control subjects (P < 0.001). The BUT values were also significantly lower in the keratoconus group. Patients with keratoconus had significantly higher fluorescein and rose bengal staining scores (P < 0.001). Corneal sensitivity and tear function changes seemed to get worse with advanced stages of keratoconus. Impression cytology showed goblet cell loss and conjunctival squamous metaplasia, both of which again related to the extent of progression of keratoconus. CONCLUSIONS The ocular surface disease in keratoconus is characterized by disorder of tear quality, squamous metaplasia, and goblet cell loss, all of which seem to relate to the extent of keratoconus progression.

Tear function and ocular surface changes with topical mitomycin (MMC) treatment for primary corneal intraepithelial neoplasia

Purpose To evaluate the tear function and ocular surface alterations in patients with primary CIN before and after treatment with topical mitomycin (MMC). Patients and Methods. We describe seven patients with unilateral CIN treated with 0.04% topical MMC three times daily until full eradication of the lesion. The patients underwent tear and ocular surface examinations including Cochet-Bonnet corneal sensitivity measurements, tear film break-up time (BUT), Schirmer test, and Rose-Bengal staining before, at the time of resolution of the CIN, and at the final follow-up. Conjunctival impression cytology was performed before treatment and at the last visit. Results The mean pretreatment corneal sensitivity was 30.3 ± 7.4 mm and improved to 55 ± 5 mm at the final visit (P < 0.05). There were no aqueous-deficient eyes. The BUT values and Rose-Bengal staining scores also showed significant improvement at the last follow-up compared with the pretreatment values (P < 0.05). Initial impression cytology specimens showed goblet cell loss, higher grades of squamous metaplasia, areas of isolated keratinized, binucleated, and actively mitotic disfigured epithelial cells in all patients. The mean goblet cell density and squamous metaplasia grade were observed to improve significantly at the last visit (P < 0.05). MMC-induced cytologic changes were seen to persist long after cessation of treatment in some patients. All eyes remained free of recurrence and complications during the follow-up period. Conclusion We found 0.04% topical MMC treatment tid until full eradication to be effective in the management of CIN. The ocular surface disease of CIN was characterized by disturbance of tear film stability, goblet cell loss, and increased squamous metaplasia in all patients. Impression cytology proved useful in attaining the diagnosis of CIN, evaluating the effect of treatment, and showing MMC-related long-term changes on the ocular surface.

Transsclerally Fixated Intraocular Lenses in Children

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE To evaluate the visual outcome and complications of transsclerally fixated intraocular lenses (IOLs) in children without sufficient capsular support. PATIENTS AND METHODS Twenty-one aphakic eyes of 18 children (13 boys and 5 girls) who underwent secondary transscleral IOL fixation were evaluated retrospectively. Ten eyes with aphakia after infantile cataract surgery, 7 aphakic eyes following traumatic cataract surgery, and 4 eyes after ectopia lentis surgery received secondary transscleral posterior chamber IOL fixation because of by insufficient posterior capsular support. Visual outcomes and postoperative complications were recorded. RESULTS After a mean follow up of 22.5 months (range, 12 to 36 months), visual improvement of more than 2 Snellen lines was observed in 9 eyes (42.8 %). Preoperative visual acuity could not be assessed in 7 eyes (33.3%) because of associated neurological and developmental disorders. One eye (4.7%) lost 2 Snellen lines of the best corrected visual acuity because of concurrent endophthalmitis and retinal detachment. Pupillary distortion, transient pupillary membrane, pupillary capture as well as strabismus and anterior uveitis, were the most common complications. Endophthalmitis and retinal detachment were the most severe postoperative complications. CONCLUSION Transsclerally fixated IOL implantation may be visually rewarding in well selected pediatric cases, but the potential complications would suggest extreme caution in its consideration. Until long-term studies are published, it is difficult to recommend implantation unless it is deemed impossible to provide adequate rehabilitation by other means such as contact lenses or aphakic spectacles.

Primary repair and intraocular lens implantation after perforating eye injury

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcome after primary treatment of lens injuries with corneal or corneoscleral trauma. Methods: Ten eyes of 10 patients were retrospectively evaluated. There were no foreign bodies in any eye. After primary repair, an anterior chamber maintainer (ACM) was introduced through the inferotemporal corneal quadrant. Sodium hyaluronate 1.4% (Healon GV®) was injected, and the anterior capsule was stained with trypan blue 0.1% vital stain (Vision Blue®) under the viscoelastic substance. After a capsulorhexis was created, the lens material was aspirated. The nucleus was delivered from the scleral tunnel, which was opened from the superior/superotemporal corneal quadrant. A conventional 21.0 diopter poly(methyl methacrylate) intraocular lens (IOL) with a 5.5 mm optic and overall diameter of 12.5 mm (Dr. Schmidth®, Hannan Kibbutz) was implanted through the scleral tunnel. The scleral tunnel was not sutured, and the corneal entry sites were closed with stromal hydration. Results: The final best spectacle‐corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) was better than 20/100 in all patients, and 6 patients had a BSCVA of 20/20. The IOL was in the capsular bag in all patients at the last follow‐up. The mean follow‐up was 12.3 months (range 7 to 25 months). The main visually limiting factors were corneal scar, irregular astigmatism, and traumatic maculopathy. Conclusions: Primary IOL implantation in carefully selected patients with penetrating corneoscleral lens injury may yield visually rewarding results. The use of a vital stain to increase the visibility of the injured anterior capsule and of a closed scleral tunnel system with an ACM increased the surgical safety.

Diclofenac Sodium for the Prevention of Surgically­ induced Miosis

In this study, the effectiveness of topical diclofenac sodium (VOLTAREN OPHTHA) has been investigated in the prevention of surgically-induced miosis during extracapsular cataract surgery with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation. A double-blind method was used: 35 patients were treated preoperatively with 0.1% diclofenac sodium and routine midriatics and the control group of 30 patients with only midriatics. In the diclofenac treated group, the mean pupil diameters were larger than the control group. On statistical analysis, the difference between the results of two groups has been found to be significant ( P t -test. Diclofenac sodium seems to be a promising drug for the maintenance of mydriasis during intraocular lens implant surgery.

Free iris cyst in the anterior chamber.

A 50-year-old man had a free iris cyst in the anterior chamber that was treated by puncturing using an Nd:YAG laser. Following laser treatment, the cyst wall settled in the anterior chamber angle and no complications were encountered during 4 months of follow-up.