Molecular characterization of drug-resistant and drug-sensitive Aspergillus isolates causing infectious keratitis.

Purpose: To study the susceptibilities of Aspergillus species against amphotericin B in infectious keratitis and to find out if drug resistance had any association with the molecular characteristics of the fungi.

Materials And Methods: One hundred and sixty Aspergillus isolates from the corneal scrapings of patients with keratitis were tested for susceptibilities to amphotericin B by broth microdilution method. These included Aspergillus flavus (64 isolates), A.

Bilateral microbial keratitis in highly active antiretroviral therapy-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis: a case series.

Purpose: To report three cases of bilateral microbial keratitis in eyes with Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) induced by highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in patients of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Methods: A case series.

Results: A detailed clinical examination and systemic review of all the three patients on HAART was performed.

Optimal use of donor corneal tissue: one cornea for two recipients.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of the use of 1 donor cornea for 2 recipients who required anterior lamellar and posterior lamellar keratoplasties, respectively.

Methods: Twelve eyes with anterior corneal stromal pathology and 12 eyes with irreversible endothelial dysfunction were evaluated for transplant surgery at a tertiary eye care referral center. Twelve healthy donor corneas were split into 2 parts, that is, anterior lamellar button (350-μm-thick) and posterior lamellar button (150-μm-thick) using a microkeratome (Moria, Antony, France).

Ultrasound biomicroscopy-guided assessment of acute corneal hydrops.

Objective: To analyze the morphologic features of acute hydrops and treatment success using ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM).

Design: Prospective interventional case series.

Participants: Fourteen patients (14 eyes) affected by keratoconus with acute corneal hydrops.

Herpes zoster ophthalmicus: disease spectrum in young adults.

Purpose: To establish the clinical profile of herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) in adults younger than 40 years and correlate the clinical manifestation with their immune status.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of patients younger than 40 years who presented with HZO. Data were collected on demographics, medical history, clinical presentation, results of serological investigations, and visual outcome.

Mitochondrial complex 1 gene analysis in keratoconus.

Purpose: Keratoconus is characterized by the thinning of corneal stroma, resulting in reduced vision. The exact etiology of keratoconus (KC) is still unknown. The involvement of oxidative stress (OS) in this disease has been reported.

Scrofuloderma and bilateral anterior staphyloma of eye: an unusual association.

We report a patient with bilaterally symmetrical perforated corneal ulcers with formation of anterior staphyloma associated with scrofuloderma. A 22-year-old female in her third month postpartum presented with multiple perforated corneal ulcers bilaterally. There was a presence of a skin lesion that was consistent with scrofuloderma.

Excimer laser phototherapeutic keratectomy for the treatment of silicone oil-induced band-shaped keratopathy.

Purpose: To study the efficacy of excimer laser phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) for the treatment of band-shaped keratopathy (BSK).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of case records of 20 eyes of 20 patients with silicone oil-induced BSK and significant media haze that underwent PTK was conducted. Improvement in corneal clarity and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was assessed at 6 weeks postoperatively.

Evaluation of intrastromal voriconazole injection in recalcitrant deep fungal keratitis: case series.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of intrastromal voriconazole, as a modality of treatment for management of recalcitrant fungal keratitis.

Methods: Twelve patients of smear and/or culture positive fungal keratitis not responding to topical and systemic antifungal therapy were treated with additional intrastromal voriconazole therapy. Patients were given one or more intrastromal injection of voriconazole (50 μg in 0.

Microbial keratitis after descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty.

Background: To report two cases of corneal infection after Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK).

Methods: Two eyes of two patients demonstrated varying clinical presentations of microbial keratitis after DSAEK. At the initial presentation, the keratitis involved the host cornea alone in case 1, whereas in case 2, the posterior lamellar disk alone was involved.

Congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy - mutation analysis of SLC4A11 and genotype-phenotype correlation in a North Indian patient cohort.

Purpose: To identify the solute carrier family 4 (sodium borate cotransporter) member 11 (SLC4A11) mutation spectrum and to perform genotype-phenotype correlations in autosomal recessive Congenital Hereditary Endothelial Dystrophy (CHED2) in North Indian patients.

Methods: Twenty-five patients from twenty families clinically diagnosed with autosomal recessive CHED2 were recruited for the study. Clinical parameters such as age at onset, presentation, and pre- and post-operative visual acuities were recorded.

VSX1 gene analysis in keratoconus.

Purpose: To screen the visual system homeobox 1 (VSX1) gene in keratoconus patients.

Methods: The enntire coding region of VSX1, including intron-exon boundaries were amplified in keratoconus cases (n=50) and controls (n=50). All sequences were analyzed against the ensemble sequence (ENSG00000100987) for VXS1.

A proposed regression analysis-based method for assessment of higher order aberration interrelationships in ocular wavefront sets from apparently similar origins.

Purpose: To analyze the interrelations and difference in higher order aberration patterns in ocular wavefront sets with similar measures of central tendency and apparently similar origins.

Methods: This theoretical simulation and assessment study was performed at the cornea and refractive surgery services of a tertiary care, teaching hospital. A sample data set of myopic candidates was used to create distribution patterns of signed and absolute values.

Evaluation of tear samples for Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV) detection in suspected cases of viral keratitis using PCR assay and conventional laboratory diagnostic tools.

Background: Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) keratitis is a leading cause of corneal blindness. Definitive laboratory diagnosis is essential for timely management. Collection of corneal scrapings in patients with advanced epithelial keratitis and corneal thinning poses perforation risks; tear fluid is a feasible and convenient alternative but has not been widely evaluated for HSV detection.

Surgical technique of deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty in descemetoceles.

Purpose: To describe a surgical technique of deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) to treat patients with descemetocele.

Methods: Twelve eyes of 12 patients with central or paracentral descemetocele after resolved microbial keratitis underwent viscoelastic-assisted DALK. The mean follow-up of the cases was 19.

Amniotic membrane transplantation as an adjunct to medical therapy in acute ocular burns.

Aims: To evaluate the role of amniotic membrane transplantation in patients with acute ocular burns.

Methods: In a prospective, randomised, controlled clinical trial, 100 patients with grade II to IV acute ocular burns (Roper Hall Classification) were recruited. 50 patients with grade II-III burns were graded as moderate burns, and 50 patients with grade IV burns were graded as severe burns.

Evaluation of umbilical cord serum therapy in acute ocular chemical burns.

Purpose: To evaluate the role of umbilical cord serum therapy in cases of acute ocular chemical burns.

Methods: In a double-blind prospective randomized controlled clinical study, 33 eyes of 32 patients with acute ocular chemical burns of grade III, IV, and V severity were randomized into three groups: umbilical cord serum (n = 12), autologous serum (n = 11), and artificial tears (0.5% HPMC+0.

Comparison of olopatadine and fluorometholone in contact lens-induced papillary conjunctivitis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of olopatadine with fluorometholone in contact lens-induced mild to moderate papillary conjunctivitis.

Methods: A randomized, double-masked study was conducted. Eighty-five (n = 170 eyes) soft contact lens users with mild to moderate papillary conjunctivitis were enrolled.

Therapeutic keratoplasty for microbial keratitis.

Purpose Of Review: The purpose of this review is to provide an update of peer-reviewed literature published over the previous 2 years on various aspects of therapeutic keratoplasty.

Recent Findings: Therapeutic keratoplasty has a definitive role in the management of progressive microbial keratitis refractory to medical therapy. The primary aim of the procedure is to eliminate the infectious disease process and establish the integrity of the globe.

Comparative evaluation of phototherapeutic keratectomy and amniotic membrane transplantation for management of symptomatic chronic bullous keratopathy.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy and safety of phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) and amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) for symptomatic relief in painful bullous keratopathy.

Methods: Twenty-five eyes of 25 patients with symptomatic bullous keratopathy and poor visual potential were randomized into 2 groups. In the PTK group (n = 13) after manual epithelial debridement, 100-microm excimer laser ablation was performed.

Nonresolution of acute hydrops because of intrastromal migration of perfluoropropane gas.

Purpose: To report a case of nonresolution of acute hydrops despite treatment with intracameral perfluoropropane (C3F8) gas because of fish egging of the gas bubble.

Methods: An acute hydrops in a 25-year-old female patient with keratoconus was treated with intracameral injection of 0.15 mL of isoexpansile C3F8 (14%).

Randomized clinical study for comparative evaluation of fourth-generation fluoroquinolones with the combination of fortified antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial corneal ulcers.

Purpose: Comparative evaluation of efficacy of monotherapy with moxifloxacin (0.5%) or gatifloxacin (0.3%) with combination therapy of cefazolin (5%) and tobramycin (1.

Identification and characterization of a novel TACSTD2 mutation in gelatinous drop-like corneal dystrophy.

Purpose: To study the clinical, histological, in vivo confocal microscopic, and molecular profile in a family with gelatinous drop-like corneal dystrophy (GDLD) from north India.

Methods: Two siblings from a consanguineous family presented with clinical features analogous to GDLD. Detailed clinical evaluations were performed for all the available affected and unaffected members of this family.