Active microbiota persist in dry permafrost and active layer from Elephant Head, Antarctica.

Dry permafrost is a challenging environment for microbial life due to cold, dry, and often oligotrophic conditions. In 2016, Elephant Head, Antarctica, was confirmed as the second site on Earth to contain dry permafrost. It is geographically distinct from the McMurdo Dry Valleys where dry permafrost has been studied previously.

Use of a subpalpebral lavage system as salvage therapy for panophthalmitis due to an infected scleral buckle.

Purpose: To present a case and surgical technique for management of panophthalmitis secondary to an infected scleral buckle.

Methods: Surgical technique video for management of an infected scleral buckle resulting in panophthalmitis with scleral buckle and suture explant and insertion of a subpalpebral lavage system.

Results: After two months, the visual acuity was restored to hand motion, likely secondary to a fibrotic secondary membrane, and the retina remain attached.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Ophthalmology Residency Home-Institution Match Rate.

 The aim of this study was to evaluate the ophthalmology residency match results to determine changes in the rate of home-institution matches during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.  Aggregate deidentified summary match result data from 2017 to 2022 was obtained from the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology and the San Francisco (SF) Match. A chi-squared test was performed to determine if the rate of candidate matching to the home residency program in ophthalmology was higher in the post-COVID-19 compared with pre-COVID-19 match years.

An Unnamed Human Oral sp. as the Cause of an Unusual Bacterial Keratitis.

We report a case of bacterial keratitis secondary to an undescribed sp. spp. are not easily cultured, and many reports have identified unculturable isolates through broad-range bacterial polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

A Rare Presentation of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Masquerading as Vitritis: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

We report a case of a 74-year-old gentleman who presented with floaters and decreased vision in the right eye after cataract surgery. His past medical history was significant for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) to bone, lung and abdomen which was presumed stable for the last two years while on the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), pazopanib. Clinical examination revealed significant vitritis with a distinctive clumping of cells on the pre-retinal surface and posterior hyaloid face.

Observing the initial onset of retinal vasculitis as unilateral Birdshot Retinochoroiditis becomes bilateral: A case report.

Purpose: Birdshot Retinochoroiditis (BRC) is an uncommon but distinct form of bilateral posterior uveitis. It is generally of indolent onset, making early natural history difficult to study. Our report seeks to expand knowledge on the natural history of the onset of BRC.

Self-retained cryopreserved amniotic membrane for treating severe corneal ulcers: a comparative, retrospective control study.

To compare the effectiveness of self- retained cryopreserved AM as an adjuvant therapy for infectious corneal ulcers. Retrospective, case-control study of 24 eyes of 24 consecutive patients with central and paracentral corneal infectious ulcers and initial visual acuity worse than 20/200. Among them, 11 eyes of 11 patients received additional placement of self-retained cryopreserved AM.

Paraneoplastic Conjunctival Acanthosis Nigricans: A Case Report.

Purpose: To report a patient who presented with red eye and diffuse palpebral conjunctival thickening and papillary growth bilaterally.

Methods: A 63-year-old woman with a medical history of stage IV adenocarcinoma of the lung with metastasis to the bone, the lung, and the lymph nodes presented with redness and irritation of both eyes for 3 months. The patient has been treated with topical corticosteroids for 3 weeks with no relief of symptoms.

Self-retained cryopreserved amniotic membrane in treating acute ocular graft-versus-host-disease (oGVHD).

Purpose: To report successful management of acute ocular graft-versus-host disease (oGVHD) by self-retained cryopreserved amniotic membrane (AM).

Observations: A 69-year-old male developed acute oGVHD following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with severe dryness, pain, photophobia, and blurred vision, the right eye worse than the left eye. Despite topical artificial tears, corticosteroids, and bandage contact lens (BCL) for two weeks, his right eye deteriorated with increasing redness and blurred vision and presented with diffuse conjunctival inflammation, severe superficial punctate keratitis, and corneal and limbal epithelial defect.

Commercial Cannabinoid Oil-Induced Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.

Purpose: To report an unusual presentation of commercial cannabidiol (CBD) oil-induced Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS-TEN).

Methods: A 56-year-old woman presented with acute onset of a diffuse, blistering, maculopapular rash with over 30% total body surface area (BSA) involvement two days after taking CBD oil sublingually for chronic pain. Biopsy confirmed SJS-TEN.

Uveitis in Patients Treated with CTLA-4 and PD-1 Checkpoint Blockade Inhibition.

: To investigate the link between treatment with CTLA-4 and PD-1 checkpoint blockade inhibitors and the development of noninfectious uveitis.: A survey was distributed to uveitis specialists to identify patients who developed uveitis while receiving either PD-1 inhibitors pembrolizumab and nivolumab; PD-L1 inhibitors atezolizumab, avelumab, and durvalumab; or the CTLA-4 inhibitor ipilimumab.: Fifteen patients from seven institutions were identified.

Diagnosis, Treatment, and Surgical Repair in a Case of Isolated Conjunctival Lichen Planus Causing Cicatricial Entropion.

A 50-year-old male presented with bilateral cicatricial entropion with subepithelial fibrosis and fornix foreshortening. Conjunctival biopsy showed lymphocytic infiltrate along the interface of the epithelium and lamina propria with linear, shaggy fibrinogen deposition along the epithelial basement membrane zone, supporting a diagnosis of lichen planus. The patient was treated with commercially available topical cyclosporine for 5 months after which bilateral lower eyelid splitting procedure with recession of the anterior lamella and complete excision of the lower eyelid lashes was performed.

A case of bilateral uveitis and papillitis in a patient treated with pembrolizumab.

Purpose: Drug-induced uveitis is a well-known effect of ocular inflammation that has been reported with many medications. Pembrolizumab is a newer generation of the anti-programmed cell death-1 monoclonal antibodies that was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of advanced melanoma. Immune-mediated adverse events involving different organs have been reported in recent literature in association with this drug.

Short-Wavelength Automated Perimetry Parameters at Baseline and Following Remission in Patients With Birdshot Retinochoroidopathy.

Purpose: To identify changes in short-wavelength automated perimetry patterns and parameters between the active and inactive states.

Design: Retrospective cohort study with age-matched, normal controls.

Methods: setting: Private tertiary referral center.