Correlation of Clinical Severity of Trachomatous Inflammation and Chlamydia trachomatis Bacterial Load.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between bacterial load of Chlamydia trachomatis as measured from quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and the relative clinical severity of trachomatous inflammation. Individuals with trachoma from rural communities in Ethiopia had photographs taken as well as swabs obtained of the upper tarsal conjunctivas. Conjunctival swabs were processed with PCR assay, which provided quantitative results of ocular chlamydial load.

Hypoglobus, Exophthalmos, and Interpupillary Distance: Measuring Globe Dystopia in Thyroid Eye Disease.

Purpose: Thyroid eye disease (TED) is characterized by a variety of disfiguring periocular changes. Vertical globe changes affecting the relative position of the eyelids are not well understood in patients with TED. This study seeks to determine the effect of orbital decompression on vertical globe displacement in patients with TED, without TED, and with intraconal tumor (ICT).

Head rotation and the perception of eyelid height and contour.

Purpose: Effective visual perceptual processing is one of the many components of surgical competence. Human face identification is most efficient when viewed upright. However, it is not yet clear how this perception sensitivity impacts eyelid symmetry.

Travel time to cataract surgical services in Kenya, Malawi and Rwanda: demonstrating a standardised indicator of physical access to cataract surgery.

Background: Travel time can be used to assess health services accessibility by reflecting the proximity of services to the people they serve. We aimed to demonstrate an indicator of physical access to cataract surgery and identify subnational locations where people were more at risk of not accessing cataract surgery.

Methods: We used an open-access inventory of public health facilities plus key informants in Kenya, Malawi and Rwanda to compile a geocoded inventory of cataract facilities.

Relationship Between Cooking Fuel and Lens Opacities in South India: A 15-Year Prospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: To determine whether exposure to unclean cooking fuels was associated with subsequent cataract progression as reported in previous cross-sectional studies.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Methods: This is a secondary observational analysis of the community-based Antioxidants in Prevention of Cataracts trial (ClinicalTrials.

Association of vision impairment and blindness with socioeconomic status in adults 50 years and older from Alto Amazonas, Peru.

Objective: To determine the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and visual impairment (VI) or blindness in the rural Peruvian Amazon, hypothesizing that higher SES would have a protective effect on the odds of VI or blindness.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study of 16 rural communities in the Peruvian Amazon, consenting adults aged ≥ 50 years were recruited from ~30 randomly selected households per village. Each household was administered a questionnaire and had a SES score constructed using principal components analysis.

Telemedicine for screening eye disease in the remote Peruvian Amazon: proof-of-concept.

Background: Improvements in technology could facilitate task-shifting and ocular disease screening in rural areas.

Methods: Visual acuity (VA) was tested using a Ministry of Health 3-m VA card. Anterior segment photographs were taken using a three-dimensional printed cellphone attachment and remotely graded.

Cryptococcal infection of the colon in a patient without concurrent human immunodeficiency infection: a case report and literature review.

Cryptococcosis is a fungal infection that is rarely reported in patients without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, especially when the central nervous system (CNS) or pulmonary system is not involved. We report a case of isolated colonic cryptococcosis without disseminated disease in a 64-year-old immunocompetent woman without HIV infection who presented with chronic diarrhea and no episodes of fever or weight loss. The diagnosis was based on histopathology examination.

Association of visual impairment with disability: a population-based study.

Objective: To determine the relationship between visual impairment and other disabilities in a developing country.

Methods: In this cross-sectional ancillary study, all individuals 50 years and older in 18 communities in the Chitwan region of Nepal were administered visual acuity screening and the Washington Group Short Set (WGSS) of questions on disability. The WGSS elicits a 4-level response for six disability domains: vision, hearing, walking/climbing, memory/concentration, washing/dressing, and communication.

Lessons from the Field: Integrated survey methodologies for neglected tropical diseases.

The 2021-2030 Neglected Tropical Diseases road map calls for intensified cross-cutting approaches. By moving away from vertical programming, the integration of platforms and intervention delivery aims to improve efficiency, cost-effectiveness and programme coverage. Drawing on the direct experiences of the authors, this article outlines key elements for successful integrated surveys, the challenges encountered, as well as future opportunities and threats to such surveys.

Comparison of Smartphone Photography, Single-Lens Reflex Photography, and Field-Grading for Trachoma.

Conjunctival examination for trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) guides public health decisions for trachoma. Smartphone cameras may allow remote conjunctival grading, but previous studies have found low sensitivity. A random sample of 412 children aged 1-9 years received an in-person conjunctival examination and then had conjunctival photographs taken with 1) a single-lens reflex (SLR) camera and 2) a smartphone coupled to a 3D-printed magnifying attachment.

Knowledge and Practices in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Corneal Infections by Nepalese Pharmaceutical Shop Workers.

Medical shops in Nepal are a main point of treatment for many diseases including ophthalmic conditions. We sought to evaluate pharmaceutical shop worker knowledge of corneal ulcers and abrasions. A pharmaceutical shop worker from each of 117 different pharmacies surrounding Bharatpur, Nepal, was presented four different eye photographs (i.

Extensive Prostatic Abscess in an Elderly Patient Requiring Multidisciplinary Drainage.

Prostatic abscess is rare and mainly affects immunocompromised individuals, classically presenting with both systemic and lower urinary tract symptoms. Our case is unique as the patient presented with an exceptionally long duration of symptoms prior to seeing a health-care provider, had no systemic symptoms, and was managed via a multidisciplinary approach. We present a case of a 70-year-old man with type-two diabetes who endured two months of lower urinary tract symptoms and constipation without systemic symptoms prior to seeking medical attention.