Rupali Chopra

Dirofilaria in the anterior chamber: A rare occurrence

Dirofilariasis is a parasitic infection of the carvivores that may present as a zoonotic infestation in humans. Systemic involvement in man is subcutaneous, pulmonary, or ocular. We report a rare occurrence of ocular dirofilariasis in a 25-year-old male patient who presented with pain and redness in the eye. A live, white, coiled, and highly motile worm was present in the anterior chamber. The worm, however, could not be detected in the anterior chamber, posterior segment, or the angle of the anterior chamber when the patient was taken to the operating room for surgical removal of the worm. The patient was made to lie prone till the worm reappeared in the anterior chamber and was removed by paracentesis. The worm was identified as Dirofilaria repens on the basis of microscopic and histopathological examination.

Ocular associations of metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of diseases including central obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and high blood pressure. People with metabolic syndrome have been shown to be at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, beyond the risk associated with individual components of the syndrome. The association of diabetes and hypertension with retinopathy, cataract, and raised intraocular pressure is well known. This review highlights the association of metabolic syndrome, including all its components, with various ocular conditions such as retinopathy, central retinal artery occlusion, cataracts, and raised intraocular pressure.

The eye as a window to rare endocrine disorders.

The human eye, as an organ, can offer critical clues to the diagnosis of various systemic illnesses. Ocular changes are common in various endocrine disorders such as diabetes mellitus and Graves’ disease. However there exist a large number of lesser known endocrine disorders where ocular involvement is significant. Awareness of these associations is the first step in the diagnosis and management of these complex patients. The rare syndromes involving the pituitary hypothalamic axis with significant ocular involvement include Septo-optic dysplasia, Kallmans syndrome, and Empty Sella syndrome all affecting the optic nerve at the optic chiasa. The syndromes involving the thyroid and parathyroid glands that have ocular manifestations and are rare include Mc Cune Albright syndrome wherein optic nerve decompression may occur due to fibrous dysplasia, primary hyperparathyroidism that may present as red eye due to scleritis and Ascher syndrome wherein ptosis occurs. Allgroves syndrome, Cushings disease, and Addisons disease are the rare endocrine syndromes discussed involving the adrenals and eye. Ocular involvement is also seen in gonadal syndromes such as Bardet Biedl, Turners, Rothmunds, and Klinefelters syndrome. This review also highlights the ocular manifestation of miscellaneous syndromes such as Werners, Cockaynes, Wolframs, Kearns Sayres, and Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome. The knowledge of these relatively uncommon endocrine disorders and their ocular manifestations will help an endocrinologist reach a diagnosis and will alert an ophthalmologist to seek specialty consultation of an endocrinologist when encountered with such cases.

Lipoprotein(a) as a risk factor for diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AIMS To estimate serum lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with and without diabetic retinopathy and to determine the correlation, if any, between serum Lp(a) levels and severity of diabetic retinopathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study included a total of 200 patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus out of which 100 patients who had no retinopathy served as the control group and 100 patients with diabetic retinopathy formed the study group. A detailed fundus examination was done with dilated pupil. The Lp(a) levels were measured quantitatively in fasting venous samples by an immunoturbidimetric method using commercially available kits (Clonital). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED Group comparisons involving qualitative measures were carried out using Chi square test. ANOVA procedure was applied for comparing group means. Logistic regression analysis was performed for independent factors associated with diabetic retinopathy. RESULTS The average Lp(a) levels in the study group (68.5 mg/dl) were significantly higher than in the control group (25.1 mg/dl) (P 0.001). The Lp(a) levels were found to increase with increasing severity of diabetic retinopathy. CONCLUSIONS Serum Lp(a) levels are significantly raised in patients with diabetic retinopathy as compared to those with no retinopathy.

Vitamin A deficiency: An eye sore

Vitamin A deficiency is a major cause of childhood mortality and morbidity in India and other developing countries. The ocular manifestations of vitamin A are collectively called xerophthalmia and range from conjunctival xerosis to severe blinding complications such as keratomalacia. Vitamin A deficiency exists as a major public health nutrition problem among preschool-aged children, especially in the South East Asian region, as well as among the pregnant and lactating women. Deficiency can be diagnosed by the ocular manifestations such as Bitots spots, serum retinol levels, and conjunctival impression cytology (CIC). Improving vitamin A status in the diet or by periodic administration of vitamin A to children can reduce both mortality and blindness. This review is an attempt to highlight the ocular manifestations of vitamin A deficiency, its prevalence, treatment, and preventive strategies.