Sociodemographic Predictors of Keratoconus (Severity, Treatment, and Progression) in a Tertiary Center in New York City.

Purpose: To identify sociodemographic factors as predictors of keratoconus severity, progression, disease outcomes, and appropriate management in a tertiary care ophthalmology institute in the New York City metropolitan area.

Methods: This is a retrospective chart review. Patients with keratoconus presenting at a tertiary eye institute in an urban setting seen between 2015 and 2022 were included.

Scheimpflug-Based Tomographic Risk Factors for the Development of Acute Corneal Hydrops in Keratoconus.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the risk factors that predispose patients with keratoconus to develop acute corneal hydrops (ACH), including both clinical and tomographic risk factors. We additionally describe tomographic changes of the cornea over time after ACH.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with keratoconus who were followed at our institution from January 2015 to May 2023.

Spontaneous Reattachment of a Detached Sutured Descemet-Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty Graft.

Introduction: This is a case report of a spontaneous reattachment of Descemet-stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK). This graft was primarily sutured, and 20% sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) was injected into the anterior chamber, followed by graft detachment and spontaneous reattachment, 3 months later.

Case Presentation: A 78-year-old male presented with DSAEK graft detachment, which was the patient's second DSAEK (the first also did not adhere).

Chronic Early-Stage Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid.

Ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) represents an insidious, autoimmune-mediated disease of the conjunctiva, initially presenting as chronic conjunctivitis and progressing to fibrosis, cicatrization, and eventually blindness secondary to corneal keratinization. This series reports 3 cases presenting with chronic conjunctivitis lasting an average of 10 years without cicatrix formation, ultimately diagnosed as OCP based on direct immunofluorescence of conjunctival biopsy samples. This chronic conjunctivitis without fibrosis suggests the possibility of an OCP subtype with a prolonged early stage or prodrome prior to cicatrization, which may benefit from early diagnosis and treatment to prevent complications of this disease.

A case of infectious crystalline keratopathy after corneal cross-linking.

Purpose: To present a case of infectious crystalline keratopathy after corneal cross-linking in a child with delayed wound healing, and its successful management with antibiotic and anti-fungal eye drops.

Observations: A 14-year-old male presented for a second opinion with a non-staining crystalline keratopathy after corneal crosslinking for progressive keratoconus. He reportedly rubbed his eyes vigorously in the post-operative course and had a slowly healing epithelial defect.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Exposure Keratopathy Across Different Intensive Care Units.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of exposure keratopathy (EK) across different intensive care units (ICU) at Columbia University Medical Center, including the Pediatric ICU (PICU), Medical ICU (MICU), and Neurologic ICU (NICU).

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 65 patients were examined daily during their admission in the PICU (27 patients), MICU (15 patients), and NICU (23 patients). Data on eyelid position, conjunctival and corneal changes, Bell's and blink reflexes, medications, Glasgow Coma Scale rating, and ventilation type were collected.

Using Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography to Monitor Disease Progression in Peripheral Ulcerative Keratitis.

We report two cases of peripheral ulcerative keratitis (PUK) imaged with anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). The first patient had prolonged nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, while the second had inflammatory arthritis by laboratory findings without any systemic findings as well as possible concurrent tuberculosis. In both patients, AS-OCT demonstrated corneal thinning at the onset of the disease with improvement six months after initiation of intensive medical therapy.

Oxidative Stress-Related Molecular Biomarker Candidates for Glaucoma.

Purpose: Glaucoma-related molecular biomarkers can improve clinical testing to diagnose the disease early, predict its prognosis, and monitor treatment responses. Based on the evidence of increased oxidative stress in glaucomatous tissues, this study analyzed oxidative stress-related biomarker candidates in blood and aqueous humor samples with or without glaucoma.

Methods: The blood and aqueous humor samples collected from carefully selected groups of 96 patients with glaucoma and 64 healthy subjects without glaucoma were included in the study.

Pediatric corneal transplants.

Purpose Of Review: Pediatric keratoplasty poses unique challenges in clinical and surgical management. However, successful transplantation can afford a child vision in an otherwise poorly seeing eye. This review will provide an update on recent advances in pediatric keratoplasty.

Invasive fungal disease of the sinus and orbit: a comparison between mucormycosis and Aspergillus.

Background/aims: Invasive fungal infections of the head and neck are rare life-threatening infections where prompt diagnosis and intervention is critical for survival. The aim of this study is to determine the clinical characteristics and outcomes of invasive fungal disease of the sinus and orbit, and to compare mucormycosis and Aspergillus infection.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted from a single tertiary care eye and ear hospital over 20 years (1994-2014).

New insights into the development of infantile intraocular medulloepithelioma.

Purpose: To define the maturational sequence of 3 infantile intraocular medulloepitheliomas.

Design: Retrospective clinicohistopathologic and immunohistochemical study.

Methods: Immunoreactivity of paraffin sections for CRX (cone-rod homebox transcription factor) and NeuN (biomarker for neuronal differentiation) were investigated together with other biomarkers, including S100, glial fibrillary acidic protein, epithelial membrane antigen, and various cytokeratins.

Intra-arterial chemotherapy for group C retinoblastoma with adjacent high-flow infantile hemangioma.

Intra-arterial chemotherapy for retinoblastoma is an emerging technique that is being adopted at various centers worldwide. The authors report the first case of an infantile hemangioma that shunted flow during intra-arterial chemotherapy in a 4-month-old girl who presented with macular group C retinoblastoma. Excellent tumor response was noted despite only a fraction of the dose entering the central retinal artery.

Functionally specific reorganization in human premotor cortex.

After unilateral stroke, the dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) in the intact hemisphere is often more active during movement of an affected limb. Whether this contributes to motor recovery is unclear. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to investigate short-term reorganization in right PMd after transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) disrupted the dominant left PMd, which is specialized for action selection.

Ketamine produces lasting disruptions in encoding of sensory stimuli.

The current study analyzed the acute, chronic, and lasting effects of ketamine administration in four inbred mouse strains (C3H/HeHsd, C57BL/6Hsd, FVB/Hsd, and DBA/2Hsd) to evaluate vulnerability to ketamine as a drug of abuse and as a model of schizophrenia. Serum half-life of ketamine was similar between all strains (approximately 13 min). Also, the ratio of brain-to-serum ketamine levels was 3:1.