The Role of Scanning Electron Microscopy in the Evaluation of Conjunctival Microvilli as an Early Biomarker of Ocular Surface Health: A Literature Review.

Microvilli are bristle-like protuberances of the plasma membrane, which express the vitality of mucous and epithelial cells; their alteration indicates a condition of cellular suffering in a predictive sense, making it possible to establish how much an inflammatory state or toxic conditions affect cellular functionality. In this article, the authors evaluate the applications of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination to impression cytology (IC) of the bulbar conjunctiva for the assessment of microvillar alteration as an early ultrastructural indicator of ocular surface health. This method offers several advantages, starting with its simplicity: it involves the non-invasive application of a strip of bibulous paper to the bulbar or tarsal conjunctiva.

Visual deprivation and axial myopia: Considerations on long-term ocular development.

Introduction: Severe visual deprivation during infancy can lead to long-term changes in ocular development, including significant differences in axial length (AL) between eyes. This case report presents three adult patients with monocular infantile visual deprivation who developed substantial AL interocular differences. The aim is to explore the impact of early visual deprivation on AL and its potential implications for myopia progression.

Efficacy and Safety of Keratosept Eye Drops in Patients with Punctate Keratitis: Clinical and Microbiological Evaluation on 50 Eyes.

We evaluated the efficacy and safety of eye drops with antiseptic and re-epithelizing properties (Keratosept, Bruschettini, Genova, Italy) on 50 eyes affected by punctate keratitis of suspected microbial origin. A biomicroscopic examination, fluorescein dye staining test (Fluotest), tear break-up time test (TBUT), and the ocular surface disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire were used to assess treatment efficacy. Treatment success was defined as a negative Fluotest and an OSDI score <12 on the 15th day of treatment.

Utilising Narrative Medicine to Identify Key Factors Affecting Quality of Life in Dry Eye Disease: An Italian Multicentre Study.

Introduction: Despite an improved understanding of its pathogenesis, dry eye disease (DED) remains relatively underestimated and its treatment challenging. A better alignment between the clinical evaluation and the patient self-assessment also requires capturing the whole patient experience of DED. This project aimed to unveil this experience through narrative medicine (NM).