Clinical and Morphologic Outcomes of Minimally Invasive Direct Corneal Neurotization.

Purpose: To describe clinical outcomes of a minimally invasive technique for direct corneal neurotization to treat neurotrophic keratopathy.

Methods: All cases of corneal neurotization for neurotrophic keratopathy performed by a single surgeon using minimally invasive direct corneal neurotization were reviewed. The supraorbital donor nerve was directly transferred to the cornea through an upper eyelid crease incision using either a combination of endoscopic and direct visualization or direct visualization alone.

Influence of Lens Status on Outcomes of Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty.

Purpose: To evaluate whether lens status influences clinical outcomes of Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) in patients who underwent DMEK in phakia, pseudophakia, or combined with cataract surgery (triple).

Methods: A retrospective review of 139 eyes (107 patients) with symptomatic Fuchs' dystrophy or secondary corneal edema was performed. Patients were divided into 3 groups: 1) DMEK + cataract surgery, 2) DMEK in pseudophakia, and 3) DMEK in phakia.

First report of keratitis in familial cold autoinflammatory syndrome.

Objective: To report corneal manifestations of familial cold autoinflammatory syndrome (FCAS) for the first time.

Design: small case series

Participants: Medical records of three members of a single family were reviewed after obtaining institutional review board (IRB) approval and informed consent.

Methods: All three members presented with a long history of maculopapular rash after cold exposure starting in childhood associated with nausea, low-grade fever, fatigue and arthralgia that lasted less than 24 hours.

Analysis of resident-performed manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS): an efficacious approach to mature cataracts.

To examine and improve outcomes of resident-performed manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS) cases via analysis of visual recovery, intraoperative adverse events, and early postoperative course. Particular focus was directed toward mature cataracts extracted by MSICS. A retrospective review was performed to identify MSICS cases performed by resident surgeons unfamiliar with the technique (initial ten cases) in an academic setting.

Documentation of conformance to preferred practice patterns in caring for patients with dry eye.

Objective: To evaluate documentation of physician evaluations of patients with dry eye for the presence of key elements as defined in the American Academy of Ophthalmology Summary Benchmarks for Preferred Practice Patterns.

Methods: One hundred thirty-one medical records of patients seen at the Duke Eye Center from January 1998 to July 2008 were reviewed relative to both the dry eye preferred practice patterns benchmarks for 1998 (all patients) and 2003 (for those seen between 2004 and 2008). Overall total score and subsection scores were calculated for all patients, as well as by specialty provider types and by type of medical record (electronic vs paper).

Interleukin-6 as a photoreceptor neuroprotectant in an experimental model of retinal detachment.

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that interleukin (IL)-6 prevents photoreceptor cell death during periods of retinal separation from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE).

Methods: Retinal-RPE separation was created in wild-type C57BL mice, IL-6(-/-) mice, and Brown Norway rats by subretinal injection of 1% hyaluronic acid. In some animals, anti-IL-6 neutralizing antibody (NAB) or exogenous IL-6 was administered into the subretinal space at the time of separation or at specified times afterward.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the lateral conjunctiva and anterior orbit.

A 25-year-old woman presented for evaluation of a rapidly enlarging mass of the left bulbar conjunctiva. Debulking biopsy was performed, which led to the diagnosis of myxoid malignant fibrous histiocytoma. The patient underwent left orbital exenteration with clear margins.

Cytokeratin 12 in human ocular surface epithelia is the antigen reactive with a commercial anti-Galpha q antibody.

Purpose: In our initial attempt to identify differentiation markers for ocular surface epithelia, we observed a unique staining pattern by a commercial anti-Galphaq antibody. We further isolate and characterize the protein reactive with this anti-Galphaq antibody in human ocular surface epithelia.

Methods: Human donor corneoscleral buttons were sectioned and stained with a battery of commercial antibodies against Galpha proteins.

Identification of the promoter region of the human betaIGH3 gene.

Purpose: To isolate and characterize the promoter of the human betaIGH3 gene.

Methods: Primer extension and CapSite Hunting methods were used to determine the transcription start sites (TSS) of the human betaIGH3 gene. Putative transcription factor-binding sites and potential promoter regions were identified by online tools.