John A. Burns

Management of Acute Dacryocystitis in Adults

Acute dacryocystitis frequently is extremely painful and slow to resolve even with systemic antibiotic therapy. We have identified that incision, drainage, and direct application of antibiotics inside the infected sac result in almost immediate resolution of pain and rapid control of infection. This also provides optimal culture material. Twelve consecutive patients treated in this manner had rapid control of the acute infectious process. All eight patients subsequently undergoing dacryocystorhinostomy were fully cured. A total of 58.3% of the patients were infected with gram-negative rods; 50% of the isolates were resistant to most oral antibiotics.

Expression of sodium iodide symporter in the lacrimal drainage system : implication for the mechanism underlying nasolacrimal duct obstruction in ^ I-treated patients

Purpose: Nasolacrimal outflow obstruction has been associated with high-dose (>150 mCi) radioactive iodine (I131) treatment. Commonly used for thyroid cancer treatment, I131 is effectively transported in the targeted tissue by the Na+/I symporter (NIS). We hypothesized that NIS is expressed in the lacrimal sac and nasolacrimal duct and that active accumulation of I131 is responsible for the clinical observations seen in these patients Methods: Reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical analyses were used to evaluate NIS expression in both archived and fresh human tissues Results: Reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that NIS mRNA is present in the lacrimal sac. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that NIS protein is expressed in the stratified columnar epithelial cells of the lacrimal sac and nasolacrimal duct. NIS protein was undetectable in the lacrimal gland, Wolfring and Krause glands, conjunctiva, canaliculus, and nasal mucosa. NIS-expressing columnar epithelial cells were absent and fibrosis was evident in the lacrimal sacs from I131-treated patients undergoing dacryocystorhinostomy Conclusions: NIS is present in the lacrimal sac and nasolacrimal duct of humans, correlating to the anatomic areas of clinical obstruction that develop in patients treated with greater than 150 mCi of I131. This suggests that NIS may be the vector of radiation-induced injury to the lacrimal system. To our knowledge, this is the first report of any ion transporter in the nasolacrimal outflow system and raises new questions as to the role the lacrimal sac plays in the modification of tears and in lacrimal outflow pathology.

Botulinum toxin type a for dysthyroid upper eyelid retraction.

Purpose:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of botulinum toxin type A for treatment of eyelid retraction resulting from thyroid eye disease (TED) during the inflammatory phase of the condition.Methods:In this prospective, nonrandomized case series, 18 patients with inflammatory eyelid retraction cau

Long-term Botulinum Toxin Treatment of Benign Essential Blepharospasm, Hemifacial Spasm, and Meige Syndrome

PURPOSE To report the clinical success and incidence of adverse events of repetitive botulinum toxin treatment of 15 years or greater. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. METHODS The study sample consisted of 37 patients from a clinical practice, 11 male and 26 female. Inclusion criteria consisted of patients treated a minimum of 15 consecutive years for facial dystonia. Seven patients had hemifacial spasm, 4 Meige syndrome, and 26 benign essential blepharospasm. Main outcome measures consisted of treatment efficacy and adverse events. RESULTS Mean treatment duration was 19.4 years (SD 2.2) with an average of 62 (SD 22) treatments of 70.2 (SD 20.8) neurotoxin units. Mean duration of treatment efficacy was 127 days (SD 37) with a 5% physician-reported minor adverse event rate and no major adverse events over each patients clinical course. Patients reported no major and 20% incidence of minor adverse events over the treatment course. CONCLUSION Results suggest that long-term botulinum toxin treatment produces clinical success in the alleviation of facial dystonia symptoms. Treatment produced a low incidence of major adverse events and minor adverse events. Previous studies may under-report clinical success and over-report adverse events because of study design.

The effect of blepharoptosis on the field of vision.

Upper eyelid position, pupillary diameter, and visual field impairment were measured in 26 eyes with adult-onset blepharoptosis. The magnitude of superior visual field impairment was inversely proportional to the distance between the upper lid margin and the pupillary aperture. The distance between the upper lid and the central corneal reflex was the most useful measurement for predicting visual field impairment. Superior visual field impairment was present when the distance between the upper lid and the central corneal reflex was <2.5 mm. Visual field impairment inferiorly, temporally, and nasally occurred when the central corneal reflex was obscured and <1.5 mm of the vertical diameter of the pupil was visible. Observation of the relationship between the upper eyelid and the pupillary aperture provides useful information for the performance of accurate diagnostic perimetry, as well as for the management of blepharoptosis.

Modified Kinosian Dacryocystorhinostomy: A Review of 122 Cases

A consecutive series of 122 dacryocystorhinostomies is reviewed, and a surgical technique which preserves the anterior lacrimal crest and eliminates the need to create mucosal flaps is described. The success rate of this simplified technique is 89%. The success rate rises to 94% following secondary revisions. This is comparable to more complicated procedures. Canalicular and common punctal stenosis are not found to be contraindications to dacryocystorhinostomy for obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct but do lower the success rate. Eighty-one percent of patients with concomitant canalicular disease and nasolacrimal duct obstruction were cured by dacryocystorhinostomy with silicone intubation. A success rate of 98% was achieved in patients without preoperative canalicular disease.

Fibrin sealant for Müller muscle-conjunctiva resection ptosis repair.

Purpose: To determine the safety and efficacy of fibrin sealant for use in Müller muscle–conjunctiva resection ptosis repair. Methods: This was a retrospective review of a consecutive case series. All patients underwent Müller muscle–conjunctiva resection ptosis repair with fibrin sealant used for wound closure. Surgery was performed in a manner similar to a previously described technique, using fibrin tissue sealant rather that suture for wound closure. Postoperative symmetry was defined as MRD1 of each eyelid within 0.5 mm. Results: Müller muscle–conjunctiva resection ptosis repair with fibrin sealant used for wound closure was performed on 53 eyelids of 33 patients. There were 27 female patients and 6 male patients. Twenty patients underwent bilateral ptosis repair and 13 patients underwent unilateral ptosis repair. Average follow-up was 17 weeks (range, 3 to 45 weeks). Mean preoperative MRD1 was 1.22 mm (range, –1.5 to 2.5 mm) in the right upper eyelid and 1.50 mm (range, 0 to 2 mm) in the left upper eyelid. Mean postoperative MRD1 was 3.11 mm (range, 2 to 4.5 mm) in the right upper eyelid and 3.12 mm (range, 1 to 4.5 mm) in the left upper eyelid. Postoperative symmetry was found in 32 of 33 patients (97%). We found no evidence of keratopathy or other complications attributable to the fibrin sealant. Conclusions: Müller muscle–conjunctiva resection ptosis repair with fibrin sealant used for wound closure may allow for predictable results with few complications and appears to be an acceptable alternative to traditional suture techniques.

Management of epiphora in the presence of congenital punctal and canalicular atresia.

We treated ten eyes in six pediatric patients with epiphora and punctal and canalicular atresia in one or both lids. Attempted probing and irrigation had failed to improve the epiphora. Nine out of ten of the lacrimal systems had additional anomalies, such as cutaneous lacrimal fistulas (anlage ducts), small sacs, and nasolacrimal duct stenosis or obstruction. A surgical plan is described for the exploration and reconstruction of these markedly abnormal nasolacrimal drainage systems, including a new method of performing bicanalicular intubation. Four of the five eyes with at least part of one canaliculus present have had resolution of epiphora.

Age-Matched, Case-Controlled Comparison of Clinical Indicators for Development of Entropion and Ectropion

Purpose. To analyze the clinical findings associated with involutional entropion and ectropion and compare them to each other and to age-matched controls. Methods. Prospective, age-matched cohort study involving 30 lids with involutional entropion, 30 lids with involutional ectropion, and 52 age-matched control lids. Results. The statistically significant differences associated with both the entropion and ectropion groups compared to the control group were presence of a retractor dehiscence, presence of a “white line,” occurrence of orbital fat prolapse in the cul-de-sac, decreased lower lid excursion, increased lid laxity by the snapback test, and an increased lower lid distraction. Entropion also differed from the control group with an increased lid crease height and decreased lateral canthal excursion. Statistically significant differences associated with entropion compared to ectropion were presence of a retractor dehiscence, decreased lateral canthal excursion, and less laxity in the snapback test. Conclusion. Entropic and ectropic lids demonstrate clinically and statistically significant anatomical and functional differences from normal, age-matched lids. Many clinical findings associated with entropion are also present in ectropion. Entropion is more likely to develop with a pronounced retractor deficiency. Ectropion is more likely to develop with diminished elasticity as measured by the snapback test.

Surgical and nonsurgical treatment of total carotid artery occlusion

The natural history of totally occluded internal and common carotid arteries was studied in 102 patients (109 arteries) with a 97 percent follow-up (mean 39.7 months.) Symptomatic occlusions occurred in 72.6 percent of the patients, the reconstructed group (46 patients) having a greater number of symptomatic vessels than the nonreconstructed group (63 patients) (p less than 0.05). Contralateral disease was encountered in 46 percent. Initial mortality was 5 percent. Twenty patients (19.6 percent) were dead at the time of follow-up. Half of these deaths were from strokes and three fourths from atherosclerotic causes. Persisting neurologic symptoms were present in 14 percent of the patients and new events occurred in 5 percent. Fifteen percent of initially asymptomatic vessels were symptomatic at last follow-up. Twenty-one percent of the symptomatic occluded vessels were symptomatic on follow-up, 16 percent being in the reconstructed group and 26 percent in the nonreconstructed group.