A comparison of primary and secondary eye removal after open globe injury: A multi-centre study.

Background/objectives: Our goal was to compare the characteristics and surgical outcomes of patients who underwent primary eye removal surgery after open globe injury with those who underwent secondary eye removal surgery after open globe repair.

Subjects/methods: This was a retrospective review of subjects who underwent evisceration or enucleation within 3 months of an open globe injury, at three Level I trauma centres in three U.S.

Advancements in the repair of large upper eyelid defects: A 10-year review.

Purpose: The reconstruction of large (>50%) upper eyelid margin defects can be technically challenging, with multiple approaches described in the literature. We sought to review the recent literature for new techniques or modifications to existing techniques.

Methods: We conducted a Pubmed search for technique papers on the reconstruction of large upper eyelid defects published within the past ten years with a minimum of four patients.

Synthetic cannabinoid induced ocular self-injury.

Synthetic cannabinoids are a relatively new and increasingly popular recreational drug. While used for their hallucinogenic properties similar to natural cannabis, they have a greater and more serious side effect profile, including potentially severe neuropsychiatric toxicity. We report the cases of two patients with untreated schizophrenia who presented after ocular self-injury while intoxicated on K2.

Concurrent ophthalmomyiasis externa and aural myiasis: A case report in an urban hospital in the United States.

Purpose: To describe a case of concurrent ophthalmomyiasis externa and aural myiasis in a patient presenting with headache, right eye pain and blurred vision in an urban hospital in Philadelphia, PA.

Observations: Myiasis is the parasitic infestation of a live mammal with fly larvae that feed and grow on host tissue. Predominantly described in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, it is rarely reported in the United States.

Negative-pressure Wound Therapy for Periocular Necrotizing Fasciitis.

Periocular necrotizing fasciitis is a rare, but potentially blinding, or even fatal disease. The authors report a case of a 44-year-old man who presented with quiescent bilateral periocular and facial necrotizing fasciitis. The patient was treated with antibiotics and surgical debridement, followed by negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT), until the wound bed was thought to be healthy enough to support bilateral upper eyelid full-thickness skin grafts.

Foreign Body Granuloma Following Orbital Reconstruction with Porous Polyethylene.

Porous polyethylene is commonly used in the orbit for fracture repair and anophthalmic reconstruction; it reportedly has a good safety profile and integrates well into host tissue. Foreign body reaction to porous polyethylene has been reported in facial tissue, but to our knowledge, not in the orbit. The authors report 2 cases of foreign body inflammatory giant cell reaction in patients who underwent orbital fracture repairs with porous polyethylene implants.

A Case of Orbital Histoplasmosis.

Histoplasma capsulatum var capsulatum is a dimorphic fungus endemic to the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys of the United States. In this case report, a 33-year-old woman who presented with a right orbital mass causing progressive vision loss, diplopia, and facial swelling is described. Lateral orbitotomy with lateral orbital wall bone flap was performed for excisional biopsy of the lesion.

Nylon foil (supramid) orbital implants in pediatric orbital fracture repair.

Purpose: To present the authors experience with the nylon foil (Supramid) implant as a safe and effective method to repair pediatric orbital wall fractures.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of all pediatric patients (≤18 years) that underwent orbital wall fracture repair with an unsecured 0.4-mm Supramid implant between 2007 and 2010.

Treatment of malar festoon using modified subperiosteal midface lift.

Purpose: To describe a technique for treatment of malar festoons with partial subperiosteal midface lift, lower eyelid tarsal strips, and orbicularis muscle-skin flaps.

Methods: Retrospective case report.

Results: A 55-year-old Caucasian man developed extensive festoons on both cheeks shortly after deep brain stimulator surgery.

Mercaptopurine-induced hepatoportal sclerosis in a patient with Crohn's disease.

Thiopurines play a pivotal role in the management of inflammatory bowel disease. Azathioprine and mercaptopurine have been associated with a number of liver abnormalities, including hepatitis, veno-occlusive disease, nodular regenerative hyperplasia, and peliosis hepatitis. Patients treated with azathioprine and mercaptopurine have their liver chemistry tests routinely checked due to this potential for hepatotoxicity.

Eyelid procedures in patients who have undergone Boston keratoprosthesis surgery.

Purpose: Artificial corneas or keratoprostheses such as the Boston keratoprosthesis (KPro) are being used more frequently to provide a clear corneal window in patients with severe corneal disease. A significant percentage of patients who undergo Boston KPro implantation require subsequent eyelid surgery. However, few articles in peer-reviewed literature evaluate the indication and outcome of eyelid procedures after Boston KPro implantation.

Silicone spacer repair of medial rectus after iatrogenic orbit fracture.

A 51-year-old woman underwent endoscopic nasal polypectomy and ethmoidectomy with accidental entry into the right orbit causing enophthalmos and transection of the medial rectus muscle (MR). The repair of a fracture and of a damaged MR is technically challenging, particularly when large portions of bone and muscle are missing. We report a rare case of repair of the bony defect with an implant and reattachment of the MR with a silicone retina band, through a combined transcaruncular and transconjunctival approach.

Churches' responses to HIV/AIDS in two South African communities.

Churches have attracted controversy for how they have dealt with AIDS: they have been criticized for moral stigmatism, yet lauded for their charitable works. Our purpose was to examine what churches were doing at the grass-roots level to deal with the impact of AIDS on their communities. This study was conducted in a rural area and an urban area outside of Durban, South Africa, a region with high HIV prevalence rates.